The research of the Polymer Technology group, headed by Prof.dr.ir. H. E. H. Meijer, is aimed at bridging the gap between science and technology in the area of polymer processing and design, through the use of experimental and computational tools in the modeling of the full thermo-mechanical history of material (elements) during their formation, processing and final design, to quantitatively predict properties of processed objects.
Project description
Everyday experience shows that polymers deform irreversibly (ductility; brittle fracture) under the application of high loads. Such behavior can be quantified in controlled experiments, and also be described phenomenologically by macroscopic models.
However, the relevant microscopic processes are still largely unknown, particularly in glassy polymers. As a result, it is still challenging to explain based on the chemical architecture why, e.g., atactic polystyrene fails brittle while polycarbonate shows ductile deformation. Providing this micro-macro link is essential for targeted materials design.
PhD Microscopic origin of plastic deformation in glassy polymers
