04/17/2024
By Danielle Fretwell

The Francis College of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, invites you to attend a Doctoral Dissertation Proposal defense by Alexander Krueger on "A Fundamental Study of Impact Resistance of Transparent Thermoplastics."

Candidate Name: Alexander Krueger
Degree: Doctoral
Defense Date: Friday April 26, 2024
Time: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Location: Southwick 240

Committee:

  • Advisor Alireza V. Amirkhizi, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Christopher Hansen, Chair/Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Joey Mead, University Professor, Department of Plastics Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Daniel Schmidt, Green Polymers Group Leader, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology
  • Scott Stapleton, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Brief Abstract:
In applications of impact protection where transparency is required, such as safety glasses, polymeric materials are a common choice due to their ductility, toughness, strength, and low cost. However, few polymers are chosen for such applications because their complex physical behavior makes characterizing their response to impact loading non-trivial, costly, and time-consuming, hindering the advancement of polymeric safety solutions. To efficiently develop polymer chemistries that lead to superior impact resistance, knowledge of their response to impact from both mechanics and polymer physics perspectives are required. In this work, the main objective is to aid in the development of physics – driven models to predict the impact response of transparent thermoplastics by quantifying the influence of dynamic mechanical behavior and polymer structural characteristics on their impact response. As further understanding of the mechanical response of polymers during impact is developed, new polymer chemistries can be rapidly screened without the need for expensive experimentation. Ideally, this will lead to a “material-by-design” approach, where polymer chemistries can be tailored for favorable mechanical behaviors.