Future Seminars
📅 Friday, 28th March 2025 | ⏰ 10:00 – 11:00 AM | 📍 Rankine building, room 629
📢 Speaker: Dr. Ross Minty, Advanced Composites Group - University of Strathclyde
📝 Title and Abstract: The Impact of Adhesion & Residual Stress within Next-Generation Composites Materials
Within the composites sector, it is well known that the fibre-matrix interface plays a key role in defining the mechanical properties of fibre composite materials. The ability to efficiently transfer stress between the matrix and the fibres is critical in ensuring the required performance level needed for advanced composite materials. Despite this, there remain significant gaps in our knowledge and understanding of the micro-mechanical parameters that govern the structure-property relationships within fibre-reinforced composite materials. Inefficient adhesion at the fibre-matrix interface curtails the performance of many composite systems, triggering expensive compromises in weight, efficiency, and factors of safety to mitigate performance deficiencies. The interface plays a fundamental role in defining the capability of a composite material to perform under harsh environmental conditions. It is the interface which is attacked and weakened under these conditions; it is failure at the interface which leads to eventual delamination and ultimate failure of the component. However, despite this, interest in interfacial research had been steadily decreasing over the past decade(s) due to the assumption that we understood, and had solved, the challenges we had for the composite materials we use in high performance applications. Yet with the transition towards a Net Zero policy, the materials we use to achieve this are changing alongside us, particularly within the composites sector. The traditional fibre-reinforced thermoset systems of the past are increasingly being targeted for replacement with fibre-reinforced thermoplastic systems, or bio-derived systems due to long-term sustainability concerns. Each opens new avenues for research that challenge the historical theory of the past the fibre-matrix adhesion was down primarily to chemical bonding. This seminar will explore the research led by Dr Minty and his team within the ACG to further our understanding of the fibre-matrix interface, including the role of residual stresses formed at the interface, and how this research plays a critical role within the wider scope of composite materials for the next generation of high-performance applications.
📅 Friday, 11th April 2025 | ⏰ 4:00 – 5:00 PM | 📍 James Watt South building, room 427a
📢 Speaker: Prof. Venkataraman Thangadurai, School of Chemistry - University of St Andrews
📝 Title and Abstract: Solid-State Batteries for Energy Storage Applications
Renewable energy sources are critical for decreasing the growing greenhouse gas emissions. They play a vital role in the transition to a decarbonized economy. Because renewable sources such as solar and wind are intermittent, reliable energy storage and conversion systems are crucial for their utilization. Electrochemical devices can be implemented to directly store and convert energy from renewable sources for a wide range of applications Solid state metal batteries can accelerate electrification in both transport and peak shaving applications. In this talk, next generation solid-state membranes and electrodes for safe, high-energy density and robust batteries will be presented.
📅 Friday, 25th April 2025 | ⏰ 4:00 – 5:00 PM | 📍 James Watt South building, room 334
📢 Speaker: Prof. Daniel Mulvihill, MMRG - University of Glasgow
📝 Title and Abstract: The Tribology of Triboelectrification
Triboelectric nanogenerators are a promising energy harvesting technology receiving significant global attention at present. This talk will explore some of the key tribology and mechanics of TENGs. For example, results published in the literature have indicated that TENG electrical output appears to be very sensitive to contact pressure and surface roughness. We demonstrate that the contact pressure and roughness dependence of TENG output arises because of the role that both contact pressure and roughness play in governing the real contact area at the active TENG interface [1-3]. We also explore how the roughness magnitude effects TENG output - in order to achieve this, a novel approach is developed involving the replication of pre-designed 3D printed surface topography in suitable thermoplastic polymers like PVS. The work also develops novel experimental techniques for the testing of TENGs especially in relation to ensuring contact alignment and accurately measuring contact area in TENG interfaces.
📅 Friday, 30th May 2025 | ⏰ TBA | 📍 TBA
📢 Speaker: Dr. Ross Colquhoun, Scottish Enterprise
📝 Title and Abstract: TBA
📅 Friday, 27th June 2025 | ⏰ TBA | 📍 TBA
📢 Speaker: Dr. Khiêm Vu, Department of Continuum Mechanics - RWTH Aachen University
📝 Title and Abstract: TBA
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Past Seminars
2025 Seminar Series
📅 Friday, 31st January 2025 | ⏰ 3:30 – 4:30 PM | 📍 James Watt South building, room 427a
📢 Speaker: Dr. Philip Harrison, Co-lead of MMRG - University of Glasgow
📝 Title and Abstract: Research Vision for Composites Manufacturing
The talk focuses on current activity and future plans for research into composites manufacturing technologies. It begins with a brief outline of previous research before discussing active funded projects (on induction melt thermoforming and characterisation work on stitched fabrics) and ends by outlining ideas for future research. Topics include recent developments on how best to model and characterise the large deformation forming mechanics of engineering fabrics (highly anisotropic materials with 6 independent mechanical stiffnesses) and advanced thermoplastic composites (like engineering fabrics but with added rate and temperature dependence). It also includes a discussion of future ideas related to steered fibre laminates and material variability.
📅 Friday, 28th February 2025 | ⏰ 4:00 – 5:00 PM | 📍 James Watt South building, room 334
📢 Speaker: Prof. S. Kumar, Co-lead of MMRG - University of Glasgow
📝 Title and Abstract: Architected Materials and Multifunctional Composites via Additive Manufacturing and Nanoengineering
The emergence of micro-, nano-, and molecularly-tailored multimaterial systems, driven by advancements in additive manufacturing (AM), has unlocked new possibilities for engineering advanced functionalities. Multimaterial and multifunctional 3D and 4D printing—rooted in interdisciplinary principles and inspired by decades of research on bulk microfibre heterogeneous composites—enable cost-effective automation and precise local control of material architectures and properties. This talk presents a cross-disciplinary exploration of tailored multilayers, bioinspired materials, nanocomposites, 4D-printed structures, and multiscale fibre-reinforced composites, culminating in architected materials with enhanced multifunctional performance. By leveraging AM-enabled control over spatial and temporal material organization, we pave the way for next-generation material systems tailored for critical applications in biomedical, defence, energy, automotive and aerospace sectors.
📢 Speaker: Dr. Philip Harrison, Co-lead of MMRG - University of Glasgow
📝 Title and Abstract: Research Vision for Composites Manufacturing
The talk focuses on current activity and future plans for research into composites manufacturing technologies. It begins with a brief outline of previous research before discussing active funded projects (on induction melt thermoforming and characterisation work on stitched fabrics) and ends by outlining ideas for future research. Topics include recent developments on how best to model and characterise the large deformation forming mechanics of engineering fabrics (highly anisotropic materials with 6 independent mechanical stiffnesses) and advanced thermoplastic composites (like engineering fabrics but with added rate and temperature dependence). It also includes a discussion of future ideas related to steered fibre laminates and material variability.
📅 Friday, 28th February 2025 | ⏰ 4:00 – 5:00 PM | 📍 James Watt South building, room 334
📢 Speaker: Prof. S. Kumar, Co-lead of MMRG - University of Glasgow
📝 Title and Abstract: Architected Materials and Multifunctional Composites via Additive Manufacturing and Nanoengineering
The emergence of micro-, nano-, and molecularly-tailored multimaterial systems, driven by advancements in additive manufacturing (AM), has unlocked new possibilities for engineering advanced functionalities. Multimaterial and multifunctional 3D and 4D printing—rooted in interdisciplinary principles and inspired by decades of research on bulk microfibre heterogeneous composites—enable cost-effective automation and precise local control of material architectures and properties. This talk presents a cross-disciplinary exploration of tailored multilayers, bioinspired materials, nanocomposites, 4D-printed structures, and multiscale fibre-reinforced composites, culminating in architected materials with enhanced multifunctional performance. By leveraging AM-enabled control over spatial and temporal material organization, we pave the way for next-generation material systems tailored for critical applications in biomedical, defence, energy, automotive and aerospace sectors.
2020 Seminar Series
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Want to hear about future seminars?
Through our in-person and online seminar series, we showcase the outstanding research conducted within our group and periodically host distinguished academics from around the world. Seminars are held on the last Friday of each month.
If you would like to receive email invitations to our monthly seminars or are interested in attending—either as an audience member or a speaker—please contact Ali ([email protected]) or Jack ([email protected]). We look forward to your participation in the upcoming seminars!
If you would like to receive email invitations to our monthly seminars or are interested in attending—either as an audience member or a speaker—please contact Ali ([email protected]) or Jack ([email protected]). We look forward to your participation in the upcoming seminars!