Prof. Thomas Böhlke
Dr. Loredana Kehrer
Johannes Gisy (M.Sc)

Methodological focus: theory and numerics
Specialisation in mechanics desired
FEM knowledge required

M.Sc. Johannes Gisy

Topic Description:

Due to their molecular structure, polyamides absorb water from their environment. Both chemical expansion and changes in material parameters are observed experimentally as a function of water concentration. Such phenomena are modelled using chemo-mechanically coupled continuum theories. Based on previous work at the ITM on pure polyamide, two aspects can be investigated in this work. Firstly, existing modelling approaches for non-constant material parameters can be integrated into the existing simulation model. It will be investigated which approaches are thermodynamically consistent and allow an efficient identification of the material parameters. Secondly, it is possible to consider a fibre-reinforced polyamide in which the fibres do not absorb moisture. The simulation of such fibre-reinforced structures allows the identification of local residual stresses in the composite due to moisture absorption or release. The fibre reinforced microstructures need to be generated and discretised.