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Valerio Carollo to present at Thermal Analysis Conference

Mon, 15 April, 2019

TWI Project Leader, Valerio Carollo is due to deliver a presentation at the Thermal Analysis Conference (TAC) 2019.

The conference is taking place 16-17 April, 2019 at the University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime in Kent. The popular meeting features presentations on applications of thermal analysis related to a range of topics including pharmaceutical processing, hot melt extrusion, 3-D printing, co-crystals, and ionic liquids. The event will also include a session about the applications of thermal analysis and an accompanying exhibition by manufacturers of thermal instrumentation. There will also be a conference dinner, which will be held in the Wardroom of the University Pembroke Building.

Valerio’s presentation, ‘A framework for characterising the long-term degradation of polymer composites through modelling and experiments,’ concerns activities undertaken during the Clean Sky 2 HEGEL project, involving the implementation of experimental data from accelerated thermal mechanical tests in numerical models to predict the long-term behaviour of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) materials.

The underlining principle behind the adopted approach is the assumption that the mechanical behaviour of CFRPs with time and temperature depends on the time and temperature dependence of the resin. By using the time-temperature superposition method, experimental data obtained from short-duration tests can be conveniently post-processed prior to their implementation in the numerical model. Short timeframe test data at different temperatures are converted into time-based data over an extended period of time (‘virtual time’) at a specific reference temperature and in the form of a master curve. An overview of the used approach will be presented, including its potential in further use for fatigue applications of composite materials.

The presentation will also note how the experimental characterisation of the long-term behaviour and degradation of polymer-based materials is often cost- and time-consuming, due to the large number and duration of tests required. Although accelerated test methodologies exist, and can significantly reduce the number of tests, their validity applies to the specific configuration of the tested samples (e.g. specific stack-up sequence in composite laminates). However, Valerio will show how, by combining accelerated test methodologies with numerical modelling, a more efficient and comprehensive understanding of the long-term behaviour of polymer-based materials can be achieved.

Valerio Carollo
Valerio Carollo

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