Development of an Undergraduate Laboratory for Determining Mechanical Properties of Polymers

为机械工程师开设了一门实验课程“工程材料的性质”。新课程的目标是：(1)展示结构和机械加工对材料性能的影响；(2)展示金属、聚合物和复合材料之间行为的差异；(3)熟悉标准实验技术；(4)说明这些影响在设计和制造中的重要性和差异。该项目所需的设备包括一台冲击机和一台计算机控制的拉伸机，适用于测试韧性聚合物和弹性体。这使得研究新的聚合物和复合材料成为可能，特别是在室温下发生的内部阻尼和蠕变行为。此外，还可以研究材料加工对力学性能的影响。该奖金将由首席研究员所在机构提供等额的奖金。

A laboratory course, "Properties of Engineering Materials," has been developed for mechanical engineers. The goals of the new course are: (1) To show the effects of structure and mechanical processing on material properties, (2) To show the differences between the behavior of metals, polymers and composites, (3) To become familiar with standard experimental techniques, and (4) To show the importance of these effects and differences in design and manufacturing. The equipment required for this project includes an impact machine and a computer controlled tensile machine suitable for testing ductile polymers and elastomers. These make possible the study of new polymer and composite materials, especially the internal damping and creep behavior that occurs at room temperature. Also the effects of material processing on mechanical properties can be investigated. The award is being matched by an equal amount from the principal investigator's institution.