Modeling moisture diffusion coupled with physical aging phenomena in thin-wall polymeric parts

该提案是与设计和制造无线手持设备的工业合作伙伴合作的延续。这是一个高度竞争的行业，由于积极的小型化，其塑料外壳和电子元件正迅速朝着越来越薄的壁发展。众所周知，聚合物材料对湿度和温度敏感，但是关于它们在使用中遇到的条件下如何老化存在很大的不确定性。 聚合物材料的机械和物理性能也会随着老化而发生深刻的变化，但这些变化的程度以及它们如何对关键部件的可靠性产生不利影响尚不能容易地预测。

This proposal is a continuation of a collaboration with an industrial partner who designs and manufactures wireless handheld devices. This is a highly competitive industry which is rapidly moving towards increasingly thinner walls for its plastic housings and electronic components due to aggressive miniaturization. It is well known that polymeric materials are sensitive to moisture and temperature but there is much uncertainty about how they would age under conditions encountered in service. The mechanical and physical properties of polymeric materials also change profoundly with aging but the extent of these changes and how they may adversely affect the reliability of critical components cannot be readily predicted as yet.