SPE announces winners of scholarships.
Press Release Summary:
Organizing committee for SPE® Automotive Composites Conference & Exhibition announced winners of group's three annual SPE ACCE scholarships sponsored by the Michigan Economic Development Corp., as well as two new Dr. Jackie Rehkopf scholarships from an endowed fund. ACCE scholarships, each for $2,000 USD, went to Mr. Lu Wang, Mr. Srikanth Raviprasad, and Ms. Mariana Batista. Rehkopf scholarships for $5,000 USD each were awarded to Mr. Sebastian Goris and Mr. Robert Hart.
Original Press Release:
SPE® Announces Winners of Rehkopf, Auto Composites Conference Scholarships for 2016-2017 Academic Year
TROY (DETROIT), MICH. – The organizing committee for the SPE® Automotive Composites Conference & Exhibition (ACCE) today announced the winners of the group's three annual SPE ACCE scholarships sponsored by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (Lansing, Mich., U.S.A., http://www.michiganbusiness.org) as well as two new Dr. Jackie Rehkopf scholarships from an endowed fund that has been set up to honor the long-time SPE ACCE committee member, SPE Automotive Division board member, and automotive composites researcher.
ACCE scholarship winners are required to present the results of their research at next year’s SPE ACCE show, September 6-8, 2017; Rehkopf scholarship winners are required to either present the results of their research at next year's SPE ACCE or publish them in an SPE journal.
Both scholarships are administered as part of the SPE Foundation® (Bethel, Conn., U.S.A., http://www.4spe.org/Foundation).
The two winners of the SPE ACCE graduate scholarships ($2,000 USD each) were Mr. Lu Wang of University of Maine-Orono (Orono, Maine, U.S.A., https://umaine.edu) and Mr. Srikanth Raviprasad of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Champaign, Ill., U.S.A., http://illinois.edu). A third ACCE scholarship (also $2,000 USD) for a student attending a university or college in the U.S. state of Michigan was won by Ms. Mariana Batista of Michigan State University (East Lansing, Mich., U.S.A., https://msu.edu/). The two Rehkopf scholarships ($5,000 USD each) were won by Mr. Sebastian Goris of University of Wisconsin-Madison (Madison, Wisc., U.S.A., http://www.wisc.edu) and Mr. Robert Hart of University of Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa, U.S.A., http://www.uiowa.edu).
Lu Wang won his SPE ACCE graduate scholarship with the topic: Cellulose Nanofibrils Reinforced Polypropylene by 3D Printing for Lightweighting. About his project and its potential impact on the automotive composites industry, Wang said, "CNF [cellulose nanofibrils, a type of nano-scale cellulose fibers, have extraordinary potential to be used as a reinforcement in polymers. They are estimated to be as strong as steel, but five-times lighter and with stiffness equivalent to high-performance aramid fibers. Compared to other kinds of reinforcements, CNF has lower density, higher specific strength and modulus, lower cost, worldwide availability, recyclability, and biodegradability. On a related subject, 3D printing has been found to benefit the automobile industry, especially for prototyping design and testing. However, two obstacles exist for 3D printing some semi-crystalline polymers like polypropylene (PP). First, the PP molecule crystallizes during printing, which leads to residual stresses and warpage of the printed layers. Second, the mechanical properties of printed polymers are only 60-80% of their injection-molded counterparts because the printing process generates many voids inside parts. Hence the two objectives of my research are to explore the use of CNF in 3D printed PP and to make printed PP parts equally strong as their injection molded counterparts."
Srikanth Raviprasad won his SPE ACCE graduate scholarship with the topic: Novel Structure-Material System to Resist High Velocity Impacts. Explaining the significance of his work on the automotive composites industry, Raviprasad said, "My aim is to elevate the current technology for sandwich structures by introducing a novel cellular architecture — triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) — made of polymers (primarily polyamide) as the core material in order to improve the impact response and increase the energy absorption of composite sandwich structures. The sandwich panel's face sheets will be designed using glass-fiber laminates of different fiber-volume fractions, with its stacking and orientation criteria inspired by examples found in nature — like architectures of armadillo and stomatopod shells — to effectively transfer impact load across the surface rather than through the thickness of the structure. Results from both computations and physical experiments will be compared against those obtained from traditional aluminum-core sandwich structures used today to see if we can achieve a better material response with our novel technology. If we are successful, it could effectively lead to both lighter weight and lower cost components for rough-terrain vehicles that are prone to impact loads from ground, weather, and the other conditions."
Mariana Desireé Reale Batista won her SPE ACCE Michigan scholarship with the topic: Hybrid Cellulose Composites: Lightweight Materials for Automotive Applications. Describing the research she will do on this project, Batista says, "Lower weight, high strength, and high stiffness are often identified as desirable properties for parts used in both the aerospace and automotive fields. In order to achieve these engineering goals, meet the fuel economy and emissions mandates in many parts of the world, and contribute to global sustainable development, cellulose fibers have attracted considerable attention within the transportation industry. As a class of reinforcing agents for polymer composites, they have been widely studied because of their low cost, low density, high mechanical properties, and considerable environmental benefits. My proposed research is focused on development of hybrid composites combining cellulose fiber with glass fiber, carbon fiber, and talc in matrices of polypropylene or biobased polyamide, and on evaluating the mechanical and thermal properties of the resulting composites for automotive underhood and body interior applications. In this project I am investigating synergetic effects of combining various fibers, looking for the ideal concentration of each constituent, and also qualifying the fiber-matrix interphase. It is worth mentioning that hybrid composites reinforced exclusively with cellulose fibers are less frequently developed, but they also are potentially useful materials with respect to environmental concerns for automotive applications. The hybrid cellulose composites from this research may replace or reduce the use of synthetic fibers in many automotive applications leading to weight and cost savings. Therefore this new approach to the development of ecofriendly and lightweight composite materials should be beneficial to the transportation industry.”
Sebastian Goris won his Rehkopf scholarship with the topic: Experimental Evaluation and Numerical Simulation of the Process-Induced Fiber Configuration in LFT Injection Molding. About his work and its potential impact on the automotive composites industry, Goris says, "During moldfilling of LFT [long-fiber thermoplastic materials, the fiber configuration significantly changes as reflected by fiber attrition, excessive fiber orientation, fiber jamming, and fiber-matrix separation. A major challenge in the field of LFT processing has been and remains the lack of availability of reliable measurement techniques to allow accurate fiber property measurements of sufficiently large samples in a timely manner. The goal of my research is to gain an in-depth understanding of the underlying physics behind fiber motion and the process-induced microstructure of the fibers. As one part of my research, I'm developing novel measurement concepts to evaluate the process-induced fiber microstructure to validate simulation results by using sophisticated techniques, including micro-computed tomography.
Additionally, I am working on new simulation approaches and models to better predict changes in fiber configuration during processing — in particular to control and predict the reduction of fiber length in LFT processing, which affects mechanical properties of the resultant part. As we develop expertise in measurement techniques and modeling approaches, we'll be able to apply them to study the relationships between microstructural parameters and unsolved phenomena, such as fiber attrition and fiber agglomeration in injection molded parts.
Eventually, the results of my work will translate into an improved understanding of the damage and motion of fibers during injection molding, which is necessary to fully exploit the lightweight advantages of LFT materials.”
Robert Hart won his Rehkopf scholarship with the topic: Multi-Physics Effects in Carbon Fiber Polymer Matrix Composites. Discussing why his research will be of interest to those working in the transportation composites field, Hart notes, "My project will focus on developing theoretical models for designed optimal composite structures for multifunctional applications. I'll explore the use of new, advanced reinforcement media (e.g. carbon nanotubes, buckypaper, and graphene) that provide optimum combinations of electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. My areas of interest include damage modeling and the influence of damage on the multi-physics response in advanced composites. This research should eventually lead to the development of "smart structures" with capabilities like real-time damage sensing that will be of interest to manufactures of aerospace as well as ground vehicles."
About the SPE ACCE
Held annually in suburban Detroit, the ACCE draws over 1,000 speakers, exhibitors, sponsors, and attendees and provides an environment dedicated solely to discussion and networking about advances in transportation composites. Its global appeal is evident in the diversity of exhibitors, speakers, and attendees who come to the conference from Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia / Pacific as well as North America. Fully one-third of attendees indicate they work for automotive and light truck, agriculture, truck & bus, or aviation OEMs, and another 25% represent tier suppliers. Attendees also work for composite materials, processing equipment, additives, or reinforcement suppliers; trade associations, consultants, university and government labs; media; and investment bankers. The show has been jointly sponsored by the SPE Automotive and Composites Divisions since 2001. This year's show will be held September 7-9, 2016 at The Diamond Banquet & Conference Center at the Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Avenue, Novi, MI 48374. For more information about the SPE ACCE, see http://speautomotive.com/comp.htm, Â or http://specomposites.com.
Current supporters of the show include:
• PREMIER PLUS SPONSORS & SPECIAL SPONSORS: Hexion, Inc. * (also reception sponsor), Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC)* (also student scholarship sponsor), Magna Exteriors (student poster competition sponsor); Ashland Inc.*, Carver Non-Woven Technologies LLC*, Core Molding Technologies, Inc.*, Mitsui Chemicals America, Inc.*, and SABIC*;
• PREMIER SPONSORS: Addcomp North America, Inc.*, Altair Engineering, Inc.*, Asahi Kasei Plastics North America, Inc.*, BASF*, Böllhoff USA*, Composites One LLC*, Dieffenbacher GmbH Maschinen- und Anlagenbau*, Dow Automotive Systems*, Fraunhofer Project Centre @ Western University*, Gurit (USA) Inc.*, Huntsman*, Owens Corning*, Plasmatreat*, Red Spot Paint & Varnish Co., Inc.*, Solvay*, and Toray Composites (America), Inc. (TCA)*;
• ASSOCIATE SPONSORS: A&P Technology*, Abaris Training Resources, Inc.*, AlzChem AG*, AOC Resins*, Arkema Inc.*, Assembly Guidance Systems, Inc.*, Autodesk Inc.*, Automated Dynamics*, Cannon USA*, CHOMARAT*, Dreytek Inc.*, EconCore N.V.*, Enercon Industries Corp.*, Engel*, ESI Group*, Evonik Industries AG*, e-Xstream engineering*, FRIMO Group GmbH*, Globe Machine Manufacturing Co.*, Hennecke, Inc.*, IDI Composites® International*, Intertek Transportation Technologies*, KRUSS GmbH*, LANXESS Corp.*,
Mafic SA*, Mitsubishi Rayon Carbon Fiber & Composites*, Molding Products LLC*, North American Composites (NAC)*, National Research Council Canada (NRCC)*, Pinette Emidecau Industries*, Siemens PLM Software*, Siempelkamp Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH & Co. KG*, Sigmatex Carbon Composite Solutions*, Strothmann Machines & Handling GmbH*,
TenCate Advanced Composites USA, Inc.*, Toho Tenax America, Inc.*, Trexel, Inc.*, Weber Manufacturing Technologies Inc.*, Williams, White & Co.*, WMG Centre HVM Catapult - University of Warwick*, and Zoltek: A Toray Group Co.*;
• EXHIBITOR: Persico S.p.A. and Adaptive Corp.;
• BREAKFAST SPONSOR: SAMPE (Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering);
• COFFEE-BREAK SPONSOR: Johns Manville;
• ADVERTISING SPONSORS: American Chemistry Council - Plastics Div., DSC Consumables, Inc., and Shear Comfort Ltd.;
• MEDIA/ASSOCIATION: AutoBeat Daily, Automotive Design & Production magazine, China Plastics & Rubber Journal, China Plastics & Rubber Journal International, Composites World magazine, Industrias Plásticas, JEC Group, Noticiero del Plástico, Plastics Engineering magazine, PlasticsInsights.com, Plastics News, Plastics Technology magazine, Plastics Technology México, PrototypeToday.com, Reciclado y Plasticos, Rubber Fibre Plastics International magazine, TheMoldingBlog.com, and WardsAuto.com.
* Indicates a sponsor that also is exhibiting.
The mission of SPE is to promote scientific and engineering knowledge relating to plastics. SPE’s Automotive and Composites Divisions work to advance plastics and plastic-based composites technologies worldwide and to educate industry, academia, and the public about these advances. Both divisions are dedicated to educating, promoting, recognizing, and communicating technical accomplishments for all phases of plastics and plastic-based composite developments, including materials, processing, equipment, tooling, design and testing, and application development. For more information on the Society of Plastics Engineers or other SPE events, see www.4spe.org.
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