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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: TS/H000623/1
Title: SHIELD - Sustainable High Energy Absorbing Lightweight Material Development
Principal Investigator: Brooks, Dr R
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Div of Materials Mech and Structures
Organisation: University of Nottingham
Scheme: Technology Programme
Starts: 01 June 2009 Ends: 30 September 2012 Value (£): 144,900
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Materials Characterisation Materials Processing
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Manufacturing
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
This project aims to develop a new generation of sustainable, recyclable lightweight materials which will offer significantly improved energy absorption and shock mitigation capabilities under dynamic impact and shock/blast loading at reduced economic cost. Methods of designing and manufacturing structural components, incorporating the novel material, will also be developed, leading to improved safety and protection in a range of sectors. The proposed material is a syntactic foam based on a stochastic dispersion of porous recycled glass particles dispersed in a recycled and/or bio-based polymer matrix. The focus will be on developing a fully recycled and recyclable material. To optimise materials performance, particularly energy absorption, novel multi-scale materials models (using explicit FEA methods) will be developed and used during the materials design stage of the programme. This will be supported by experimental characterisation of rate dependent properties and failure mechanisms. A new soft processing technique will be developed that avoids damage to the glass particles and degradation of the polymer. Multi-material sandwich structures, comprising the recyclable syntactic foam core and glass-reinforced thermoplastic composite skins, will also be developed, again with full recyclability being a goal. With industrial partners, applications in blast protection, automotive, rail, infrastructure and aerospace sectors will also be investigated.
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Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk