Foams and Cellular Materials
Code
7459
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia
Department
Departamento de Ciências dos Materiais
Credits
6.0
Teacher in charge
Alexandre José da Costa Velhinho, João Paulo Miranda Ribeiro Borges
Weekly hours
5
Total hours
84
Teaching language
Português
Objectives
- To know and evaluate the mechanical and thermal properties of foams and cellular materials;
- To know and evaluate the mechanical and thermal characteristics of the cork (cellular material of particular relevance for the Portuguese economics);
- To know the most common applications of cellular materials;
- To be able to determine the mechanical behaviour of foams and cellular materials specific situations in actual use;
- To be able to conduct tests to assess the properties of foams and cellular materials.
Prerequisites
No mandatory requirements are defined.
However, mastering of Polymeric, Ceramic, Metallic and Composite Materials, is strongly advised.
Subject matter
Introduction to cellular solids.
The structure of cellular solids.
Properties of cellular solids.
Mechanical behaviour of honeycomb structures.
Mechanical behaviour of foams.
Thermal, acoustic and electric properties of cellular materials.
Energy absorption by cellular materials.
Design of laminated structures with foam core.
Natural cellular materials (wood, cork, bone tissue).
Synthetic cellular materials (polymer, metallic and ceramic foams; syntactic foams).
Bibliography
Lorna J. Gibson, Michael J. Ashby, "Cellular Solids: Structure and Properties", Cambridge Solid State Series, 1999 (ISBN 0521499119).
- Teachers'''' notes.
- Scientific journal articles considered relevant to the issues covered.
Teaching method
Two types of lessons will be considered: Lectures (theory / practice) and laboratory. Lectures will be given using PowerPoint slides, students having access to copies on the course page in the Moodle platform. Problem solving sessions will take place, as well as different case study analysis, based on scientific articles. The laboratory work will be performed by the students under the guidance of the teacher and focus on the different topics of the syllabus.
Teaching has theoretical and experimental components that will allow students to acquire and apply knowledge in developing new cellular materials for a wide range of applications. In lectures, the subjects will be presented and explained, and case studies will be analyzed (scientific papers), as well as solving problems based on real situations, which will allow the consolidation of knowledge that will later be put into practice in labs. Thus, lectures and laboratory classes complement each other in order to provide an integrated learning. Lab works assume an important role in the evaluation of the curricular unit as it is through these that students acquire skills in experimental terms that allow them to implement different laboratory techniques in the development of new cellular materials.
Throughout the semester, a constant demand will be placed on knowledge previously acquired, and special care will be taken in order to establish firm bridges to other curricular units.
Evaluation method
Evaluation consists of two written tests, complemented by the execution and analysis of a colective assignment and an individual assignment.