MEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering with Composites
This fully accredited, and well respected, programme of study allows students to develop a firm foundation in the principles of Mechanical Engineering in a Composite Materials context. Our graduates have found employment in a diverse range of industries. That diversity is mirrored in the range of dissertation projects our students conduct, examples of which you will find here.
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Ricardo Sanchez
Evaluation of the Predictive Mechanical Properties of Woven and Cross-Ply Carded Flax Fibre Composites
Inaccurate performance prediction for natural fibre composites is listed as one of the restrictions to
their wider use and limits their potential to replace synthetic fibre composites in several applications. Extensive fibre characterisation was performed on two different types of flax fibre composites to deduce what effect reinforcement
architecture, fibre processing, and fabric manufacture has on the accuracy of performance
predictions. The types of flax fibre studied differed due to the processing techniques used to extract the fibres from the flax plant and how the fibres were made suitable for use a composite reinforcement; one composite was manufactured using twill weave fabric and the other using carded slivers. The tensile properties, densities, water absorption, and cross-sectional shape of the fibre types used were analysed, along with the fibre orientations, and fibre, void, and matrix volume fractions to accurately predict the flexural modulus and strengths of the composites. The techniques used allowed for exceptional performance predictions, and the effects of using natural fibres with different levels of processing to be further understood.
Inaccurate performance prediction for natural fibre composites is listed as one of the restrictions ...
Samuel Oldfield
Analysis of the Effects of Titanium Dioxide Nanopowder and Micropowder on the Mechanical Properties of Different Commercial Resins
This project researches the effects of titanium dioxide nanopowder and micropowder on commercial use resins (epoxy, bio epoxy and polyester) by analysing the changes to their mechanical properties, specifically the fracture toughness, flexural modulus and flexural strength. The effectiveness of the titanium dioxide nanoparticles in the prevention of ultraviolet (UV) degradation was also analysed. This was done by manufacturing test specimens for a three-point bend test and a comparative fracture toughness test. Half the samples were placed in an ultraviolet bath for 100 hours before testing. The results of the tests were analysed and graphed, and the results indicated that the flexural strength of bio epoxy resin improved with the inclusion of the nanoparticles, whereas the polyester resin showed improvements with the inclusion of microparticles. The results also showed that the titanium dioxide had an embrittling effect on the resins excluding polyester resin. The fracture toughness was only improved in bio epoxy resin with the inclusion of titanium dioxide nanoparticles or microparticles. Finally, the titanium dioxide nanoparticles limited the effects of UV degradation in the resins with the ultraviolet light only affecting the ductility of the materials.
This project researches the effects of titanium dioxide nanopowder and micropowder on commercial use...