CREST Center for Next Generation Multifunctional Composites (NextGen Composites Phase II)

下一代多功能复合材料中心科学技术卓越研究中心（CREST）计划通过建立有效整合教育和研究的中心，支持增强少数民族服务机构的研究能力。CREST促进了新知识的发展，提高了个别教师的研究生产力，并扩大了历史上在科学，技术，工程和数学学科中代表性不足的学生的存在。在CREST计划的支持下，巴吞鲁日的南方大学和A& M学院将继续与路易斯安那州州立大学合作开发下一代多功能复合材料中心，巴吞鲁日社区学院和工业合作伙伴。这项工作将对生物和技术应用的聚合物基材料的设计和合成产生重大影响。复合材料在汽车、海军、航空航天、能源发电和运输车辆等应用中的使用越来越多，其中重量轻、损伤容限和多功能性是主要因素，强调材料研究的必要性。该中心将促进聚合物基复合材料合成和表征、建模和模拟以及结构和环境应用制造方面的进步。中心研究分为三个子项目。子项目I将有助于理解1）设计，合成和表征具有动态共价键交换网络的高刚度形状记忆热固性聚合物，用于内在裂纹愈合; 2）由化学交联的双向形状记忆聚合物制成的聚合物人工肌肉的建模和制造;和3）复合材料面板的愈合效率评估。在子项目2中，将创建用于大规模合成碳纳米管的新的高能效方法的知识。这种新的合成方法可以用于大规模生产碳纳米管，其生产成本比通过诸如化学气相沉积的流行方法低得多。在子项目3中，重点是通过计算材料设计创造知识，用于智能导电聚合物纳米复合材料的增材制造研究，基于下一代复合材料的尖端跨学科研究的发展和通过该中心开展的教育活动将为传统上在STEM学科中代表性不足的学生提供有意义的研究经验，研究设施和博士学位程序.该中心将为从K-16到博士水平的学生以及包括残疾人在内的公众提供教育和研究一体化和接触。总体而言，中心每年将直接资助3名博士后，3名博士。硕士研究生9人，本科生18人。

Center for Next Generation Multifunctional CompositesThe Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) program supports the enhancement of research capabilities of minority-serving institutions through the establishment of centers that effectively integrate education and research. CREST promotes the development of new knowledge, enhancements of the research productivity of individual faculty, and an expanded presence of students historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines.With CREST program support, Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge will continue development of its Next Generation Multifunctional Composites Center in collaboration with Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge Community College and industrial partners. This work will have a significant impact on the design and synthesis of polymer based materials for biological and technical applications The increased use of composites in applications, such as automotive, naval, aerospace, energy generation, and transportation vehicles, where light weight, damage tolerance, and multifunctionality are major factors, highlights the need for materials research.The Center will promote advancements in polymer matrix composite materials synthesis and characterization, modeling and simulation, and manufacturing for structural and environmental applications. Center research is divided into three subprojects. Subproject I will contribute to the understanding of 1) Design, synthesis, and characterization of high stiffness shape memory thermoset polymer with dynamic covalent bond exchange network for intrinsic crack healing; 2) Modeling and manufacturing of polymeric artificial muscles made of chemically cross-linked two-way shape memory polymers; and 3) Healing efficiency evaluation of composite panels. In Subproject 2, knowledge of a new and highly energy efficient method for large scale synthesis of carbon nanotubes will be created. The new synthesis method can be used for mass production of carbon nanotubes at much lower production cost than production by prevailing methods such as chemical vapor deposition. In Subproject 3, the focus is on creating knowledge via computational material design for the study of additive manufacturing of smart conductive polymer nanocomposites with multi-scale porosity.The development of cutting edge interdisciplinary research based on next generation composites and educational activities through this Center will provide students traditionally underrepresented in the STEM disciplines with meaningful research experiences at a readily accessible advanced research facility and a pathway to Ph.D. programs. The Center will provide education and research integration and exposure to students from K-16 to the doctoral level, and to the general public, including persons with disabilities. Overall, each year the Center will directly support 3 postdoctoral fellows, 3 Ph.D. students, 9 Master's students, and 18 undergraduate students.