BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:How to make polymers as strong as steel – and also more environm
 entally friendly - David Barton\, School of Mechanical Engineering\, Unive
 rsity of Leeds
DTSTART:20100603T150000Z
DTEND:20100603T160000Z
UID:TALK23829@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Stephen Walley
DESCRIPTION:Substantial improvements in the mechanical and physical proper
 ties of thermoplastic polymers as a result of molecular orientation have i
 nitiated the development of a number of solid state thermoforming processe
 s such as free tensile drawing\, die-drawing\, hydrostatic extrusion etc. 
 Though these processes have attracted significant scientific and practical
  interests over the years\, commercialising these processes in a normal in
 dustrial environment requires detailed investigations of the various proce
 ss parameters and the properties of the oriented product. Recently detaile
 d property evaluations and computer simulations have been used at Leeds to
  predict the response of polymers in solid phase thermoforming processes a
 nd also to optimise the thermoforming conditions. However successful quant
 itative predictions are difficult due to the sensitivity of the polymer to
  temperature\, strain\, strain-rate and hydrostatic pressure as well as to
  microstructural changes. \n\nThis seminar will present recent results ari
 sing from studies on three classes of polymer systems that have successful
 ly undergone solid state orientation at Leeds as follows:\n•	polyoxymeth
 ylene (POM) for wire rope applications\, looking particularly at the defor
 mation and damage arising from the die-drawing process \n•	wood-polyprop
 ylene (WPP) composites\, including micromechanical modelling of the proper
 ties\n•	silane-grafted polyethylene (PE)\, considering the effect of the
  silane grafts on the practical limits of the drawing process.\n\nIn each 
 case\, the important process parameters are reviewed as well as the tensil
 e\, physical and microstructural properties of the highly oriented product
 . Where appropriate\, theoretical and empirical models of the material beh
 aviour are derived and compared with the experimental results. SEM\, SAXS 
 and WAXS are used to help in the interpretation of the mechanical property
  data.\n
LOCATION:Mott Seminar Room\, Cavendish Laboratory\, Department of Physics
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR