Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

The ever increasing desire of the transportation industries for improved vehicle fuel economy, performance, and reduced CO2 emissions, drives significant research into the use of light-weight composites and non-ferrous materials in diverse engineered products and innovative technologies. Although the weight savings provided by these materials are of great benefit, industrial acceptance of these materials requires accurate prediction of the in-service mechanical properties, defects and microstructural characteristics. In addition, understanding the response of the novel materials to advanced processing technologies or ambient conditions (e.g., humidity, corrosive environment) will enable manufacturers maintain product quality and reduce undesirable environmental impact. In recent years, composites and lightweight metals have also been incorporated into novel hybrid material systems. For example, fiber-reinforced polymer composites have been utilized as reinforcement in structural concrete. A reliable prediction of the material deformation under structural loads or during forming processes fully depends on its hygrothermal and viscoelastic properties. For a thorough characterization of such properties in composites and lightweight metals, the requested Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) testing system is an essential tool. It enables dynamic and static testing with imposed displacement/strain/force/stress under both humidity and temperature changes. The DMA tests also yield information about the glass transition kinetics and cure of the materials, effect of cross-linking, type of fillers and additives, moisture induced phase transitions, material swelling and shrinking. In addition, the requested DMA system can act as a basic thermal mechanical analyzer to measure the coefficient of thermal expansion of samples. A number of projects ranging from applications in forming processes to fundamental materials science are underway by the Composites and Lightweight Metal Groups at UBC Okanagan. The DMA test machine will be used to advance these projects and is also expected to initiate new collaborative projects with the local industry in the Okanagan valley.