Advanced Polymers and Composites (Apc) Research Group

Our activities include research and development into design, creation and testing of polymers and composite materials, and analysing their effectiveness. We also investigate modelling, 3-D printing and structural integrity of sustainable biocomposites.

Our research informs teaching and knowledge transfer activities in the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering and Faculty of Technology. We contribute to the international research profile of the �� through high-quality publications and participations.

Our mission is to build modern work in advanced materials and manufacturing, through collaborative partnerships with industry and other partners.

Research

Advanced composites application driven areas

Composite materials (natural fibre composites and biocomposites for light weight applications)
Conventional composites and nanocomposites
Polymers/plastics (thermosets and thermoplastics)
Composite manufacturing (aimed at exploring the link between materials, process and performance)
Additive manufacturing (Design and rapid prototyping, 3D printing of polymers and composites)
Lean manufacturing

The APC research group has well-equipped laboratories with facilities for R&D in advanced polymers and composites. The activities we undertake range from short-term consultancy works to medium-to-long-term research and knowledge transfer projects.

SeaBioComp

Successfully completed February 2023

Development and demonstrators of durable biobased composites for a marine environment. Read more at Interreg:

The FLOWER Project

Successfully completed June 2023

Flax used as alternative manufacturing material

We're working with partner organisations in the UK and France on an innovative research project to develop natural fibre composites that are a viable alternative to the non-recyclable fibreglass products widely used in the automotive and marine industries.

Find out more.

Facilities and capabilities

Nano-testing (indentation, scratching and impact)
Thermal characterisation (MDSC, DSC, TGA, TMA, DMA, laser flash and hot- wire thermal conductivities)
Materials/Mechanical testing (tensile, compression and flexural test at low and elevated temperatures, pendulum, falling weight and ballistic test impact and
hardness)
Durability testing (thermal, chemical, moisture, UV and hygrothermal degradation test)
Surface properties test (contact angle, surface tension and surface topography)
Structural integrity evaluation (electronic shearography, C-scan, ARAMIS and CT-scan)
Manufacturing (vacuum bagging, compression moulding, injection moulding, thermoforming and RTM)
Finite element analysis of engineering and biomedical systems, materials failure, damage and manufacturing processes
Machining of materials, such as conventional and non-conventional drillings, waterjet cutting, among others
Modelling (analytical and numerical) and simulation of artificial hip and knee joints, materials failure, damage and manufacturing processes
Fatigue/fracture, creep and oxidation at elevated temperature

Publications

Davies, P., LeGall, M., Niu, Z., De Witte, W., Everaert, G., Dhakal, H., Park, C-H, Demeyer, E. (2023). Composites Part C: An Open Access, Accepted.
Johansson, M., Skrifvars, M., Kadi, N., Dhakal, H.N. (2023). Industrial Crops and Products; 202, 117049.
Phiri, R., Sanjay, M.R., Seiengchin, S., Oladijo, O.P., Dhakal, H.N. (2023). Advanced Industrial and Engineering Polymer Research; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aiepr.2023.04.004.
Aponte, J.M., Webber, R., Centeno, M.A., Dhakal, H.N., Sayed, M.H., Malakooti, R. (2023). Petroleum Exploration and Development; 50, 2450-463.
Musthaq, M.A., Dhakal, H.N., Zhang, Z., Barouni, A., Zahari, R. (2023). Polymers 2023, 15, 1229. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15051229.
Khalili., Skrifvars, M., Dhakal, H.N., Jiang, C. (2023). Journal of Materials Research and Technology, accepted
Sit, M., Ling, J., Jiang, C., Zhang, Z., Khalfallah, M., Ioos, F., Grossmann, E., Dhakal, H.N. (2022). Results in Materials; 16: 100333.
Ismail, O.S., Akpan, E., Dhakal, H.N. (2022). Composites Part C: Open Access; 9: 100322.
Ahamed, B., Hasan, M., Azim, A.Y.M.A., Saifullah, A., Dhakal, H.N., Sarker, F. (2022). Composites Part C: An Open Access
Saifullah, A., Radhakrishanan, P., Wang, L., Saeed, B., Sarker, F., Dhakal, H.N. (2022). Materials; 15:6491