We are seeking to hire outstanding candidates for post-doctoral research positions in the Koslowski’s group in the School of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University to work in computational solid mechanics. The projects include phase field simulations of defect nucleation and propagation in polymers and multiscale modeling of composite materials. Candidates should have earned a doctorate degree in Mechanical Engineering or in a related field. The successful candidate will have a strong background in numerical simulations. Programming expertise and experience with high performance computing are required.

The conference is now only 6 weeks away.  If you haven't already registered, please do so at http://www.tc4pca.elsevier.com/

To view or download the instructions for poster authors, please go to http://www.tc4pca.elsevier.com

The programme for the 6th International Conference on Fracture of Polymers, Composites and Adhesives is now available on the website.

To view the programme or to register, please go to www.tc4pca.elsevier.com

To register, go to www.tc4pca.elsevier.com

Eurotel Victoria, Les Diablerets, Switzerland 11-15 September 2011

For more information, go to www.tc4pca.elsevier.com

Final call for papers - deadline 5 November 2010

There are only a few days left to submit your papers, if you haven't already done so. All you have to do is go to http://www.tc4pca.elsevier.com/abstractsubmission.asp

We are inviting authors to submit 300 words abstract for oral and poster presentation at the conference. New developments and innovative applications are especially welcome in the following subject areas:

- Polymers
- Composites
- Adhesives
- Application of fracture mechanics

Papers must be received by by 5th November 2010.

This will be the 6th International Conference in the series organised by the European Structural Integrity Society - Technical Committee 4 on Fracture Mechanics related to Polymers, Polymeric Composites and Adhesives. We are again inviting papers in the areas reflecting the current and future interests of TC4 as listed below.

Both experimental and analytical work is sought in order to give a balanced view of the subject areas:

Polymers: Low rate properties, Kc, Gc and Jc. Essential work of fracture, we. Impact and high rate properties. Ductile energy dissipation. Environmental effects. Fracture in soft materials. Cutting, machining and scratching.

I am trying to simulate the long term behaviour of the PBT (polybutyelene terephtalate) thermoplastic.

The mesh and initial stress distribution data (after ejection from the mold) were exported from Moldflow commercial program as Abaqus input (*inp) file. By default, I have already got a fist step of the simulation (linear elastic properties of polymer). What I actually need now is to simulate the long-term performance (for example in the interval of hundreds or thousands hours).  It means that the real time scale is of the utmost importance for the analysis.

We present a new wrinkling-based measurement technique for quantifying the viscoelastic properties of confined polymer thin films. This approach utilizes real-time laser-light scattering to observe the kinetics of thermally-induced surface wrinkling, which evolves isothermally as a function of annealing time. Specifically, wrinkling is induced by applying a thermal stress to a polystyrene film that is sandwiched between a silicon substrate and an aluminium thin film superstrate. By following the time evolution of the wrinkle wavelength and amplitude, we can infer the rubbery modulus and shear viscosity of the polystyrene film with the aid of a theoretical model.