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Physics Colloquium – Catalin Picu
October 18 @ 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Catalin Picu, Dept. of Mechanical, Aerospace & Nuclear Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Soft Network Materials: Structure-Properties Relations
Many materials have a stochastic network of filaments as their main structural component and are referred to collectively as ‘network materials.’ This class includes all biological connective tissue, the extracellular matrix, the intra-cellular cytoskeleton, paper and cellulose-based products, nonwovens, as well as various molecular networks such as rubber, gels and thermosets.
This talk reviews the relation between the structure of athermal networks and the material-scale mechanical properties, focusing on identifying commonalities between these very diverse material systems. Properties of interest include the non-linear elastic response, the viscoelastic response, strength and toughness. The effect of inter-fiber adhesion on network mechanics will be also discussed. The talk provides a comprehensive overview of the mechanics of this broad class of materials.
The event flyer is available here.