Dr. Sumit Gupta
Chemical Sciences Division
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Nanoengineered Interphases for Enhanced Performance and Self-Sensing Capabilities in Next-Generation Composites

ABSTRACT: The performance degradation of civil, mechanical, and aerospace systems over their service life poses significant risks of catastrophic failures. Addressing this issue requires the development of new materials with improved mechanical properties. Unfortunately, the weakness of interphases in next-generation structural materials, such as fiber-reinforced polymer composites, presents a major obstacle to the creation of lightweight, high-performance materials. 

This seminar will demonstrate the potential of nanoengineering the fiber-matrix interphase to create stronger composites. By incorporating chemically active hierarchical nanostructures into the interphases through a scalable, low-cost fabrication method, a robust interphase is formed via chemical cross-linking with the polymer matrix. Experimental characterization and a computational platform incorporating multiscale mechanisms will be presented to elucidate the superior interfacial properties of these materials. Model parameters extracted from advanced microscopy and comprehensive micro-/macro-scale measurements will serve as guidelines for efficient materials design. 

Furthermore, the vulnerability of fiber-reinforced composites to complex damage modes necessitates the use of sensors for damage detection and ensuring safe operation. However, conventional sensors are often point-based, bulky, energy-intensive, and costly to install. This seminar will showcase how further nanoengineering of the fiber-matrix interphase can overcome these engineering bottlenecks by enabling self-sensing capabilities while enhancing mechanical performance. A micromechanics-enabled computational platform will be presented to facilitate systematic multifunctional materials design. To achieve spatial damage detection from limited boundary measurements, inverse finite element-based tomographic algorithms and measurement strategies will be developed and implemented. 

The outcomes of this research aim to establish resilient and smart structural systems capable of efficiently sensing structural damage and performing admirably in various operating environments. By integrating enhanced mechanical properties and self-sensing capabilities within next-generation composites, this seminar presents an avenue for the advancement of materials science and structural engineering, with potential applications in civil, mechanical, and aerospace industries.

BIOGRAPHY: Sumit Gupta works as a R&D Associate in ORNL’s Carbon and Composites group (Chemical Sciences Division). Prior to joining ORNL, he received his Ph.D. in Structural Engineering from the University of California, San Diego’s Structural Engineering department (2020). He obtained an M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Davis, in 2015 and a B.S. degree in Construction Engineering from Jadavpur University, India, in 2014. He was the recipient of the 2019 dissertation fellowship (UC San Diego) and the 2019 SPIE education fellowship, among others. His current research interests include multifunctional materials, multiscale modeling, and tomographic imaging for resilient structural systems.