Structural materials encompass materials whose primary purpose is to transmit or support a force. Applications can be in transportation (aircraft and automobiles), construction (buildings and roads), or in components used for body protection (helmets and body armor), energy production (turbine blades), or other smaller structures such as those used in microelectronics. Structural materials can be metallic, ceramic, polymeric or a composite between these materials.
Associated Graduate Program Faculty
Desiderio Kovar
Processing and properties of micro-configured composite materials for acoustic damping; micro-configured composite materials for dissipating shocks; processing-mechanical properties relationships in particulate thick films produced by laser ablation of microparticle aerosols.
Filippo Mangolini
In situ analytical techniques for investigating oil/substrate interfaces in tribological systems; in situ thermally-induced structural evolution of amorphous carbon surfaces; mechano-chemistry of solid and liquid lubricants.
Eric Taleff
Structural materials for automobile applications; warm-temperature forming of aluminum and magnesium alloys; processing-property relationships in ultra high carbon steels; processing-microstructure relationships in weldments; dynamic abnormal grain growth in refractory metals.
David Bourell
Additive and rapid manufacturing using selective laser sintering of polymeric, metallic, and ceramic materials.
Rui Huang
Mechanics of polymer gels and soft materials, two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials and thin films, thermomechanical reliability of microelectronic devices and packaging, multiscale modeling and simulations.
Kenneth Liechti
Deformation and failure mechanisms in multilayered materials and structures using a combination of experimental and numerical stress analytical techniques; interfacial force microscopy; nanoindentation of ultra thin films and self-assembled monolayers; mechanics of adhesion and friction; interfacial fracture mechanics, composite materials; microelectronics packaging.
Wei Li
Materials processing and manufacturing, particularly multifunctional nanomaterials, biomaterials, and biomedical micro devices; biomedical micro devices for 3D cell culture and drug delivery, polymer nano foams and nanocomposites for multifunctional applications, nanoporous materials for energy storage, and manufacturing processes for alternative transportation energy.
Nanshu Lu
Mechanics of thin films on compliant substrates, mechanics of flexible electronics with extreme deformability and compliance, mechanics at bio-electronics interfaces, development of novel bio-integrated soft electronics for cardiac, neural and epidermal applications.
