Nanocomposite Materials Laboratory Introduction of Laboratory The Nanocomposite Materials Laboratory (NML) is focusing on characterizing the mechanical properties of nanomaterials and nanocomposites from the mechanics point of view. The properties including material stiffness, material strength, and related failure analysis are of concern. The methodologies involved in the research are numerical simulation (FEM and Molecular dynamics), theoretical analysis, and experimental analysis.

Research Areas Nanomaterials Analyzing the mechanical behaviors of nanomaterials, such as how to define stress and strain at atomistic nano-scale and how to derive constitutive relation for the nanomaterials. Nanocomposites Investigating the effect of nano-reinforcements on the mechanical property of nanocomposites; using multi-scale simulation to study the mechanical behavior of nanocomposites. Fracture Mechanics and Failure Analysis Characterizing the fracture behaviors of fiber-reinforced composites through fracture mechanics theory; modeling the fracture strength as well as the fracture modes of nanomaterials and nanocomposites as well. Construction of Wind Blades and its Failure Analysis Constructing the sandwich-structure wind blades and analyzing the corresponding fracture behaviors and strengths; designing the wind blade structures for large scale wind mill as well as understanding the failure mechanism through experimental examinations and finite element analysis.

Molecular Structure Carbon nanotube (CNT) Graphite sheet Nanoclay CNT/PI Nanocomposite

Finite Element Analysis Dynamic simulation of spine (range of motion) Wind turbine blade - Finite element analysis

Fracture Mechanics Experiment Failure surfaces of glass/epoxy/organoclay hybrid nanocomposites Compressive failure of unidirectional glass/epoxy composites Shear failure Fiber splitting Microbuckling