Presidential Young Investigator Award: Polymer Processing, Modelling and Simulation

该项目将在聚合物领域进行研究 加工，复合材料和流变学，特别是建模和 模拟注塑、压缩、树脂等工艺过程 传递模塑 这项研究的结果将有助于 设计师控制材料性能和零件质量 通过创新的建模、分析和过程模拟。 本文将对热机械性能进行研究， 复合材料. 设计塑料时出现的一个主要问题是， 部件，尤其是由纤维增强复合材料制成的部件， 由于收缩而引起的零件形状和尺寸的变化 和翘曲。 模具的热机械模拟 纤维增强复合材料的工艺将由此产生 research.另一项研究将确定惯性效应 在低粘度聚合物的流动过程中。 这是特别 对于反应注射成型（RIM）工艺， 其中只寻求几分之一秒的循环时间。 它 不可能预测流动模式和方向， 这种模具填充过程使用目前的模拟，因为他们 都是基于惯性项可以忽略的假设。 的 项目还将开发一个模拟的热成型 板材，特别是纤维无光泽预成型件的制造方法 用于树脂传递模塑工艺和木粉填充 用于内部车身面板的聚丙烯片材。是 重要的是要知道成型后的填料取向， 检测纸张中折叠或裂口的形成， 使其无法使用。 了解塑料的热机械行为， 能够预测填充模式，填充物取向， 收缩，翘曲和表面波纹之前，一个部分，实际上是 模塑导致更高的零件质量，并消除了一些 在早期阶段完成的昂贵和耗时的任务 零件和模具设计。

The project will conduct research in the field of polymer processing, composites and rheology, specifically modeling and simulating processes such as injection, compression and resin transfer molding. The outcome of this research will aid the designer in controlling material properties and part quality through innovative modeling, analysis and process simulation. Research will be done on the thermomechanical behavior of composites. A major problem that arises when designing plastic parts, especially those made of fiber reinforced composites, is the change of the part's shape and dimensions due to shrinkage and warpage. A thermomechanical simulation of the molding process of fiber reinforced composites will result from this research. Another study will determine the inertial effects during flow of low viscosity polymers. This is especially interesting for the reaction injection molding (RIM) process where cycle times of only fractions of a second are sought. It is not possible to predict flow patterns and orientations for this mold filling process using current simulations, since they are all based on the assumption of negligible inertia terms. The project will also develop a simulation of the thermoforming process of sheet materials, specifically, fiber matt preforms used in the resin transfer molding process and wood flour filled polypropylene sheets used for interior body panels. It is important to know the filler orientation after forming and to detect the formation of folds or rips in the sheet which would make it unacceptable for use. Understanding the thermomechanical behavior of plastics and being able to predict filling patterns, filler orientation, shrinkage, warpage and surface waviness before a part is actually molded leads to higher part quality and eliminates some of the expensive and time consuming tasks done in the early stages of part and mold design.