Research Overview
Design of polymer products and shaping processes benefit from a change from experimental trial-and-error to quantitative predictive capability. The main objective is to provide knowledge and models for the prediction and understanding of structure development during processing and the resulting final properties of polymeric products. These properties are determined by intrinsic (molecular) material parameters and, to a great extent, by the processing conditions.
To bridge the gap from the underlying structure and kinetics of polymers to their respective applications via processing, we use advanced experimental, theoretical, and numerical methods. Central research themes include polymer mechanics and processing, rheology, lifetime assessment, friction and wear, non-equilibrium thermodynamics, and multi-scale mechanics.
Application areas
Polymers are vital for energy, environment, and health. They are mainly characterized by their low density, ease of processing and shaping, possibilities of functional integration, and an almost unlimited flexibility in molecular design. Moreover they are in most cases relatively cheap. These characteristics determine not only the societal needs for improved polymer systems in a multitude of application areas like protection, isolation, transportation, communication, illumination, packaging, shielding, housing, furniture, clothing etc., but also set the resulting scientific challenges.
Education and collaboration
The Polymer Technology staff is responsible for courses at the BSc, MSc and PhD level. Our contact with industry is ensured via part-time professor positions.
Our group is an integral part of the Materials Technology Institute connecting materials and mechanics at TU/e for more than 25 years. We are also one of the leading participants in the research school Eindhoven Polymers Laboratory. Several members are also affiliated with the TU/e Institute of Complex and Molecular Science.
