Using sound to structure polymer composites during manufacturing

About the project

This mainly experimental PhD explores whether ultrasound can arrange filler particles and steer crystallisation inside polymer composites while they are being processed. Will start with low-viscosity polymers at room temperature to learn how acoustic fields, material properties and particle patterns relate, then move to polymer melts at up to 200°C, closer to real extrusion conditions. Will design and build an acoustic patterning rig with ultrasonic transducers and waveguides, back it with multiphysics (COMSOL) modelling, and characterise the resulting composites using microscopy and thermal, electrical and mechanical tests. Target applications include smart sensing, tactile devices and resilient infrastructure. The team spans acoustics, polymer processing and nanocomposites, with academic and industrial partners and a £5, 000 research training grant.