Start month: January 2003
Workshop: June 2004
Leader: Prof. Krzysztof W. Wojciechowski;
e-mail: kww@man.poznan.pl
Objectives:
Modern technology requires new materials of special properties. One of the reasons for interest in materials of unusual mechanical properties comes from the fact that they can be used as matrices to form composites with other materials of other required properties, e.g. electric, magnetic, etc. A new field of endeavour are studies of materials exhibiting anomalous (negative) Poisson’s ratio, first manufactured in 1987 (by R. S. Lakes) and later coined (by K. E. Evans) auxetics, which, in contrast to typical materials (like rubber, glass, metals, etc.), expand transversely when pulled longitudinally and contract transversely when pushed longitudinally. This counterintuitive property is essential from the point of view of modern technology - many applications of the auxetics have been designed in various fields of human’s activity, from vascular implants, strain sensors, shock and sound absorbers, "press-fit" fasteners, gaskets, air filters, ... to fillings for highway joints. Materials containing inclusions of negative stiffness constitute another class of systems with unusual mechanical properties. The recent interest in such systems has its origin in their very high damping.
Analytical, computer, and experimental modelling studies of such systems are of interest and importance since they (a) offer better understanding of known mechanisms responsible for their unusual properties and (b) suggest new mechanisms which may lead to obtaining new materials of required features. Thus, the studies are interesting both from the point of view of fundamental research and from the point of view of possible practical applications.
The workshop is intended to:
- gather experimentalists and theoreticians in one place to exchange information on new experimental and theoretical results and methods in the field of materials of unusual mechanical (elastic and/or visco-elastic) properties (materials of negative Poisson’s ratio, materials with negative stiffness inclusions, etc).
- formulate directions of new research on such systems.
