Im Rahmen der SFB-Seminare spricht Antonios Kontsos vom Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science der Rice University, Houston am 29. März 2007 um 9 Uhr im Sitzungszimmer Raum 67 des Beyer-Baus über „Modeling of Mechanical Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites Using a Multiscale Stochastic Finite Element Method“.

Hier der Abstract zum Inhalt: „This talk will present a novel multiscale Monte Carlo finite element (MSFEM) method for determining mechanical properties of polymer nanocompo-sites (PNC) that consist of polymers reinforced with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT). The reliable characterization and modeling of the mechanical behavior of nanomaterials such as PNC ensures safety and performance in engineering applications. Reported models in the literature often overestimate the actual mechanical properties of PNC because of their assumptions and approximations. To rectify this problem, the proposed method identifies the non-uniform distribution of SWCNT in polymers as a source of uncertainty in the macroscopic mechanical behavior of PNC. Hence, the MSFEM uses a multis-cale homogenization approach to link the structural variability at the nano-/micro scales with the local constitutive behavior. Subsequently, the method formulates a FE scheme to determine the overall Young’s modulus and Poisson Ratio of PNC. The use of the computed overall properties in macroscale modeling is validated by comparison with experimental tensile test findings and with numerically generated nanoidentation data, as well as by determining the critical buckling loads of PNC structures.“