Mechanical behaviour of functionally graded carbon nanofibre/phenolic nanocomposites: numerical modelling and experimental validation

Speaker: Richard Yang

Affiliation: University of Western Sydney

Time: Monday 06/05/2013 from 14:00 to 15:00

Venue: Access Grid UWS. Presented from Penrith (Y239), accessible from Parramatta (EB.1.32) and Campbelltown (26.1.50).

Abstract: In this study, a finite element-based model was developed to investigate the effect of gradient patterns on mechanical behaviour of carbon nanofibre (CNF)/phenolic nanocomposites. Four functionally graded nanocomposites (FGNs), a non-graded nanocomposite (NGN), and a pure phenolic with the same geometry and total CNF content were designed and fabricated. Close agreement was obtained between experimental results and numerical predictions. The results showed that flexural modulus can be improved about 45% by controlling the CNF content across the thickness of the samples.

Biography:

A/Prof Richard (Chunhui) Yang joined the School of Computing, Engineering and Matematics in January 2012 as Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Smart Structures. Prior to this, Richard was holding the position of Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering, the School of Engineering, Deakin University (Deakin). Prior to his almost six-year working in Deakin University, he also have worked for a couple of years each in the University of Sydney (USyd) and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) as post-doc research fellow after he finished his PhD in Mechanical Engineeering in the University of Hong Kong (HKU) in 2002. He was awarded the Graduate Certificate for Higher Education by Deakin University in 2008.

In research, he has been mainly working in computational mechanics about 15 years with mainly focusing on characterization of material properties and behaviours via numercial modelling and simulations, including multi-scale modelling of advanced engineering materials and structures, structural health monitoring (SHM) and smart structures, metal forming and manufacturing and metal surface treatment, etc. He has been awarded 2 ARC Linkage grants in roll forming of metal sheets, 1 ARC LIEF on Hybrid testing facility for structures under extreme loads with his colleagues as well as two competitive overseas research grants, including 1 Beijing Natural Science Foundation grant (BNSF) on roll forming and 1 National Science Foundation of China grant (NFSC) on bio-materials with his colleagues from China.

In teaching, he has been mostly being involved in the Year-3/4 undergraduate and postgraduate subjects in Mechanical Engineering with bringing teaching innovations and modern technologies into class, i.e. Mechanics of Materials, Dynamics of Machines, Finite Element Analysis, Computer-Aided Engineering, Mechanical Design and Automated Manufacturing, etc.

Up to 2012, he has published about 100 journal/conference papers and confidential reports for industrial partners in his research areas. As for external service, he is serving as Australia-based reader for ARC, editor board member, conference committee member and reviewers of international journals and conferences, etc.