Mohammad Maksud Rahman "Design and Manufacturing Composite Structures-Challenges and Innovations"

1:15 pm
March 20, 2024
Room: 320 Lavery Hall
Mohammad Maksud Rahman

Abstract: Polymer composites are classified as the material of choice in various high-performance structural applications. However, one of the major limitations of polymer composites, particularly carbon and glass fiber-reinforced composites, is their low bending toughness due to the brittleness of the fibers. Furthermore, the delamination of fiber from the polymer matrix causes fractures that lead to failures due to low interfacial properties. As a result, low-impact resistance is one of the major concerns of these composites. Learning from complex hierarchical architected structures found in nature, multiscale geometric design, along with materials combination plays a crucial role in mechanical response. Additive manufacturing is the latest strategy that has the potential to implement this design paradigm and surpass the limitations of traditional manufacturing techniques due to the greater degree of design, efficiency, manufacturing flexibility, and sustainability. In this seminar, I will present my efforts in addressing challenges and innovations toward designing and manufacturing next-generation composite structures with innovative material systems for diverse applications, including aerospace and ocean.

Biography: Dr. Muhammad M. Rahman is an Assistant Research Professor in the Materials Science and NanoEngineering department at Rice University. He received his Ph.D. from Cornell University, where he studied the structure-property relationship in bio-based composite structures. During his M.Sc. at Tuskegee University, he systematically investigated the quasi-static and dynamic mechanical behavior of carbon nanotubes-modified fiber-reinforced laminated composites with associated damage mechanisms. Dr. Rahman has extensive experience in the fabrication and characterization of composite and nanocomposite structures for various applications, including aerospace and ocean. At Rice, he designs and fabricates next-generation nanocomposite and meta-composite structures via advanced manufacturing technologies, including additive manufacturing. He has published 61 journal articles (h-index~30) in many prestigious journals, including Science Advances, Advanced Materials, ACS Nano, Small, Composite Science and Technology, Composite Structures, and Composite Part A. His research achievements have been featured by Science Magazine,BBC, New Scientist, and many other media outlets. Dr. Rahman has received several federal and industrial grants from the USA and Canada, including the National Science Foundation and Lockheed Martin Corporation as Principal Investigator. He received the prestigious Herschel M Rich award in 2020 at Rice University and is the Climate Reality Project Leader trained by former vice-president Al Gore. He also received a first-place award in the sustainability category from the Create the Future contest by Tech Briefs 2021.