NEXT GENERATION COMPOSITES CREST CENTER, NextGenC3

提案标题：下一代复合材料CREST中心，NextGenC3机构：南方大学和巴吞鲁日农工学院(SUBR)摘要日期：7/27/09在NSF的支持下，南方大学和农工学院，巴吞鲁日(SUBR)将在建立拟议的下一代复合材料CREST中心(NextGenC3)方面进行强有力的协作、创新和自我维持的研究和教育。该中心将是一个领先的实体，与机构、研究中心、国家实验室和行业的科学家和研究人员合作，促进新知识的创造，并将成为下一代复合材料和技术领域具有多样化、竞争性和训练有素的民众的未来科学家和工程师教育的指路明灯。CREST中心的主要目标将是为科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)学科中传统上代表性不足的学生提供极好的教育机会，并通过发展综合和开创性的研究来产生对下一代复合材料的协同理解。NextGenC3 CREST中心将研究三个研究重点领域：多功能复合材料和结构的开发：传感、损伤容限和减振；用于冲击缓解和自我修复的栅格受限形状记忆颗粒复合材料；以及下一代复合材料的合成：按需固化涂料、自修复和传感聚合物。NextGenC3的开发将产生新的机会，为SUBR的研究人员提供基础设施和资源，这将极大地提高他们的研究能力。NextGenC3将在培养少数民族学生成为未来的材料科学家和工程师方面发挥重要作用。该中心的研究和教育活动包括多功能复合材料的应力应变分析、优化和失效准则；新型树脂体系的动力学、界面结合强度的开发和评估、基于损伤力学的结构分析、复合材料传感和修复能力的集成、失效准则、高损伤容限的发展；以及聚合物复合材料的热电机械响应和优化性能的设计和建模。拟建的NSF CREST中心将对南方大学的研究、研究生产力和能力以及材料科学与工程教育产生更广泛的影响。通过该中心开展基于下一代复合材料的前沿跨学科研究和教育活动，将为传统上在STEM学科中代表性较低的学生提供更有意义的研究经验，使他们能够在便利的高级研究设施中学习。该中心将帮助培养必要的技术知识和技能，以便培养出合格的少数民族学生来填补材料科学和工程领域的职位。复合材料在汽车、海军、航空航天、能源发电和运输结构等领域的应用日益广泛，在这些应用中，重量轻、损伤容限和多功能是主要因素，这突显了对更好的材料研究的需求。该中心的创新和研究将为推进我国的基础设施建设提供新的、更耐用的多功能材料。

Proposal Title: Next Generation Composites CREST Center, NextGenC3Institution: Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge (SUBR)Abstract Date: 7/27/09With NSF support, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge (SUBR) will undergo the development of strong collaborative, innovative, and self-sustaining research and education in the establishment of the proposed Next Generation Composites CREST Center (NextGenC3). This Center will be a leading entity that promotes the creation of new knowledge in collaboration with scientists and researchers in institutions, research centers, national labs, and industry, and will serve as a beacon for the education of future scientists and engineers with diverse, competitive, and well-trained populace in the area of next generation composite materials and technology. The major objectives of the CREST Center will be to provide excellent educational opportunities to traditionally underrepresented students in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines and to produce synergistic understanding of next generation composites through the development of integrated and pioneering research. The NextGenC3 CREST Center will investigate three research focus areas: Development of Multifunctional Composites and Structures: Sensing, Damage Tolerance, and Vibration Damping; Grid Confined Shape Memory Particulate Composites for Impact Mitigation and Self-Healing; and Synthesis of the Next Generation Composites: Cure-On Demand Coatings, Self-healing, and Sensing Polymers. The development of NextGenC3 will yield new opportunities by providing researchers at SUBR with infrastructure and resources that will immeasurably enhance their research capabilities. The NextGenC3 will play an important role in the training of minority students to become future Materials Scientists and Engineers. The research and educational activities of the center includes stress-strain analysis, optimization, and failure criterion of multifunctional composites; kinetics of new resin systems, interfacial bonding strength development and evaluation, damage mechanics based structural analysis, integration of sensing and healing ability to composites, failure criterion, development of high damage tolerance; and thermo-electro-mechanical response of polymer composites, and design and modeling for optimum properties.The proposed NSF CREST Center will have broader impacts on research, research productivity and capabilities, and education in material sciences & engineering at Southern University. 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 more meaningful research experiences at a readily accessible advanced research facility. The Center will help develop the necessary technical knowledge and skills so that qualified minority students will be produced to fill positions in the field of materials science and engineering. The increasing use of composites in applications, such as automotive, naval, aerospace, energy generation, and transportation structures, where light weight, damage tolerance, and multifunctionality are major factors, has highlighted the need for better materials research. The innovation and research at this Center will provide new and more durable multifunctional materials to advance the infrastructure of our nation.