Outputs (50)

Dynamic behavior of polymers (2024)
Book Chapter
Siviour, C. R., & De Focatiis, D. S. (2024). Dynamic behavior of polymers. In Dynamic Behavior of Materials: Fundamentals, Material Models, and Microstructure Effects (553-595). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-323-99153-7.00013-x

Measuring, understanding, and modeling the high strain rate properties of polymers are of importance in a wide range of applications. These properties also give unique insight into the processes governing polymer deformation. Compared to metals, howe... Read More about Dynamic behavior of polymers.

Development of Deproteinized Natural Rubber Latex Foam for Seat Cushions (2023)
Journal Article
Ramli, R., Chai, A. B., Kamaruddin, S., Ho, J. H., & De Focatiis, D. S. (2023). Development of Deproteinized Natural Rubber Latex Foam for Seat Cushions. Key Engineering Materials, 962, 29-37. https://doi.org/10.4028/p-hwlt4p

In the transportation industry, seat cushions are crucial since they are directly responsible for the comfort and safety of the occupant. In this study, recently developed deproteinized natural rubber (DPNR) latex foam is used to make seat cushions f... Read More about Development of Deproteinized Natural Rubber Latex Foam for Seat Cushions.

Compressive Stress-Strain and Rebound Resilience Properties of Deproteinized Natural Rubber Latex Foam (2023)
Journal Article
Ramli, R., Chai, A. B., Kamaruddin, S., Ho, J. H., & De Focatiis, D. S. (2023). Compressive Stress-Strain and Rebound Resilience Properties of Deproteinized Natural Rubber Latex Foam. Key Engineering Materials, 962, 39-44. https://doi.org/10.4028/p-a5zmst

Deproteinized natural rubber (DPNR) latex is a modified version of natural rubber (NR) latex that is hypoallergenic and odorless when used in products. However, due to the lack of studies in this field, there are relatively few DPNR latex foam produc... Read More about Compressive Stress-Strain and Rebound Resilience Properties of Deproteinized Natural Rubber Latex Foam.

Effects of oil palm trunk biochar on the thermal stability and acoustic properties of specialty natural rubber latex foam (2023)
Journal Article
Ramli, R., Chai, A. B., Kamaruddin, S., Ho, J. H., Mohd. Rasdi, F. R., De Focatiis, D. S. A., …Bachmann, R. T. (2023). Effects of oil palm trunk biochar on the thermal stability and acoustic properties of specialty natural rubber latex foam. Journal of Rubber Research, 26(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42464-023-00193-8

Specialty natural rubber (SpNR) latex foam is a natural-based acoustic foam material, that can substitute conventional synthetic foams to control noise pollution in buildings and in the transportation industry. However, the thermal stability of SpNR... Read More about Effects of oil palm trunk biochar on the thermal stability and acoustic properties of specialty natural rubber latex foam.

Anisotropic swelling of rubber: extension of the Flory theory (2022)
Journal Article
Fernandes, V. A., & De Focatiis, D. S. A. (2022). Anisotropic swelling of rubber: extension of the Flory theory. Journal of Rubber Research, https://doi.org/10.1007/s42464-022-00183-2

The anisotropy of the swelling of rubber is examined both theoretically and experimentally. The Flory theory is extended to account for anisotropic swelling, allowing the determination of the average molecular weight between cross-links for rubber wi... Read More about Anisotropic swelling of rubber: extension of the Flory theory.

The acoustic properties of latex foam made from deproteinized natural rubber latex and epoxidized natural rubber latex (2022)
Journal Article
Ramli, R., Chai, A. B., Kamaruddin, S., Ho, J. H., Rasdi, F. R. M., & De Focatiis, D. S. A. (2022). The acoustic properties of latex foam made from deproteinized natural rubber latex and epoxidized natural rubber latex. Journal of Rubber Research, 25(4), 321-336. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42464-022-00178-z

Acoustic foam materials are used to control noise pollution in a wide range of applications, including buildings and the transportation industry. This study explores the feasibility of replacing conventional acoustic foam made of synthetic material w... Read More about The acoustic properties of latex foam made from deproteinized natural rubber latex and epoxidized natural rubber latex.

Sustainable ABA triblock methacrylate copolymers incorporating both high and low Tg terpene-derived monomers (2022)
Journal Article
Atkinson, R. L., Elsmore, M., Smith, S., Reynolds-Green, M., Topham, P. D., Toolan, D. T., …Howdle, S. M. (2022). Sustainable ABA triblock methacrylate copolymers incorporating both high and low Tg terpene-derived monomers. European Polymer Journal, 179, Article 11567. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2022.111567

We report the synthesis of novel terpene-based monomers: nopinyl acrylate and methacrylate, from naturally abundant β-pinene. A very high Tg value was observed for poly(nopinyl methacrylate) when synthesised by free radical polymerisation, and well-d... Read More about Sustainable ABA triblock methacrylate copolymers incorporating both high and low Tg terpene-derived monomers.

Biomimetic folding of triangular deployable membranes (2022)
Journal Article
Tang, Y., Beccarelli, P., Guo, H., Liu, R., De Focatiis, D., & Deng, Z. (2022). Biomimetic folding of triangular deployable membranes. Bioinspiration and Biomimetics, 17(6), Article 066002. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-3190/ac7fd3

Deployable membranes are being increasingly applied in numerous space projects owing to their light weight, small stowage volume and capacity for use at large scales. The geometric design of biomimetic folding is studied to design crease patterns for... Read More about Biomimetic folding of triangular deployable membranes.

A self-crosslinking monomer, α-pinene methacrylate: understanding and exploiting hydrogen abstraction (2022)
Journal Article
Monaghan, O. R., Skowron, S. T., Moore, J. C., Pin-Nó, M., Kortsen, K., Atkinson, R. L., …Howdle, S. M. (2022). A self-crosslinking monomer, α-pinene methacrylate: understanding and exploiting hydrogen abstraction. Polymer Chemistry, 13(39), 5557-5567. https://doi.org/10.1039/d2py00878e

Crosslinking is a valuable route to creating new polymeric materials and normally involves introduction of a cross linker or some form of secondary processing. Here we report the discovery and analysis of a self-crosslinking sustainable terpene deriv... Read More about A self-crosslinking monomer, α-pinene methacrylate: understanding and exploiting hydrogen abstraction.

Sustainable terpene triblock copolymers with tuneable properties for pressure sensitive adhesive applications (2022)
Journal Article
Elsmore, M., Atkinson, R., Irvine, D., Howdle, S., & De Focatiis, D. (2022). Sustainable terpene triblock copolymers with tuneable properties for pressure sensitive adhesive applications. Polymer Testing, 109, Article 107530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymertesting.2022.107530

A series of triblock copolymers in a hard-soft-hard block configuration with varying hard block α-pinene methacrylate content and molecular weight and butyl acrylate soft segment have been synthesised and investigated for viability in pressure sensit... Read More about Sustainable terpene triblock copolymers with tuneable properties for pressure sensitive adhesive applications.

Characterizing friction for fiber reinforced composites manufacturing: Method development and effect of process parameters (2022)
Journal Article
Das, A., Choong, G. Y. H., Dillard, D. A., De Focatiis, D. S. A., & Bortner, M. J. (2022). Characterizing friction for fiber reinforced composites manufacturing: Method development and effect of process parameters. Composites Part B: Engineering, 236, Article 109777. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2022.109777

In automated layup manufacturing processes of fiber-reinforced polymer composites, the quality of the manufactured part is strongly dependent on frictional behavior. Improper control of frictional forces can lead to defect formation. Frictional slidi... Read More about Characterizing friction for fiber reinforced composites manufacturing: Method development and effect of process parameters.

Preparation and characterization of speciality natural rubber latex concentrate (2022)
Journal Article
Ramli, R., Bao, C. A., Hou, J. H., Kamaruddin, S., Rasdi, F. R. M., & De Focatiis, D. S. A. (2022). Preparation and characterization of speciality natural rubber latex concentrate. Rubber Chemistry and Technology, 95(1), 101-118. https://doi.org/10.5254/RCT.21.79945

Conventionally, specialty natural rubber (SpNR) latex, namely deproteinised natural rubber (DPNR) latex and epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) latex, are prepared from low ammonia latex (LATZ) causing high material cost. To address this issue, the objec... Read More about Preparation and characterization of speciality natural rubber latex concentrate.

Specialty natural rubber latex foam: foamability study and fabrication process (2021)
Journal Article
Ramli, R., Chai, A. B., Ho, J. H., Kamaruddin, S., Rasdi, F. R. M., & De Focatiis, D. S. A. (2022). Specialty natural rubber latex foam: foamability study and fabrication process. Rubber Chemistry and Technology, 95(3), 492-513. https://doi.org/10.5254/rct.21.78938

Specialty natural rubber (SpNR) latex namely deproteinized natural rubber (DPNR) latex and epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) latex have been produced to meet specific product’s requirements. However, SpNR is normally used in the form of block rubber to... Read More about Specialty natural rubber latex foam: foamability study and fabrication process.

Development of latex foam pillows from deproteinized natural rubber latex (2021)
Journal Article
Ramli, R., Chai, A. B., Kamaruddin, S., Ho, J. H., Mohd. Rasdi, F. R., & De Focatiis, D. S. A. (2021). Development of latex foam pillows from deproteinized natural rubber latex. Journal of Rubber Research, 24(4), 615-630. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42464-021-00130-7

Currently there is significant demand for pillows with improved pressure-relief features made from natural materials, alternatives to petrochemical-based foams. In order to meet the requirements, this study's approach is to develop latex foam pillows... Read More about Development of latex foam pillows from deproteinized natural rubber latex.

Toward Exceptional Icephobicity with Chionophile-Inspired Durable Biomimetic Coatings (2021)
Journal Article
Memon, H., De Focatiis, D. S. A., Choi, K., & Hou, X. (2021). Toward Exceptional Icephobicity with Chionophile-Inspired Durable Biomimetic Coatings. ACS Applied Polymer Materials, 3(8), 4184-4194. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.1c00623

Liquid-infused polymeric surfaces have demonstrated promising icephobicity. However, the capability to maintain the icephobic performance after material damage has been a challenge, both in terms of conserving a smoother surface and the replenishment... Read More about Toward Exceptional Icephobicity with Chionophile-Inspired Durable Biomimetic Coatings.

Exploiting Generative Design for 3D Printing of Bacterial Biofilm Resistant Composite Devices (2021)
Journal Article
He, Y., Abdi, M., Trindade, G. F., Begines, B., Dubern, J. F., Prina, E., …Wildman, R. D. (2021). Exploiting Generative Design for 3D Printing of Bacterial Biofilm Resistant Composite Devices. Advanced Science, 8(15), Article 2100249. https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202100249

As the understanding of disease grows, so does the opportunity for personalization of therapies targeted to the needs of the individual. To bring about a step change in the personalization of medical devices it is shown that multi-material inkjet-bas... Read More about Exploiting Generative Design for 3D Printing of Bacterial Biofilm Resistant Composite Devices.

RAFT polymerisation of renewable terpene (meth)acrylates and the convergent synthesis of methacrylate-acrylate-methacrylate triblock copolymers (2021)
Journal Article
Atkinson, R. L., Monaghan, O., Elsmore, M. T., Topham, P. D., Toolan, D. T. W., Derry, M. J., …Howdle, S. M. (2021). RAFT polymerisation of renewable terpene (meth)acrylates and the convergent synthesis of methacrylate-acrylate-methacrylate triblock copolymers. Polymer Chemistry, 12(21), 3177-3189. https://doi.org/10.1039/d1py00326g

Terpenes are ideal candidates for sustainable polymer feedstocks, due to their natural abundance and availability from existing waste streams. Previously, we have shown that a range of terpene(meth)acrylate monomers can be synthesised from the most c... Read More about RAFT polymerisation of renewable terpene (meth)acrylates and the convergent synthesis of methacrylate-acrylate-methacrylate triblock copolymers.

UV-curable silicone materials with tuneable mechanical properties for 3D Printing (2021)
Journal Article
Foerster, A., Annarasa, V., Terry, A., Wildman, R., Hague, R., Irvine, D., …Tuck, C. (2021). UV-curable silicone materials with tuneable mechanical properties for 3D Printing. Materials and Design, Article 109681. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2021.109681

In this paper, we present the development of a family of novel, UV-curable, highly flexible, 3D printable silicone-based materials, the mechanical properties of which can be tuned simply by varying the ratio of the polymerisable reagents within the f... Read More about UV-curable silicone materials with tuneable mechanical properties for 3D Printing.

Analysis of contact area in a continuous application-and-peel test method for prepreg tack (2021)
Journal Article
Choong, G., Endruweit, A., & De Focatiis, D. (2021). Analysis of contact area in a continuous application-and-peel test method for prepreg tack. International Journal of Adhesion and Adhesives, 107, Article 102849. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijadhadh.2021.102849

The relationship between prepreg tack and the degree of intimate contact (DoIC) between prepreg and a rigid substrate was explored in the context of a continuous application-and-peel test method. Tack for a unidirectional prepreg tape was characteris... Read More about Analysis of contact area in a continuous application-and-peel test method for prepreg tack.

Durability enhancement of low ice adhesion polymeric coatings (2020)
Journal Article
Memon, H., De Focatiis, D. S., Choi, K., & Hou, X. (2021). Durability enhancement of low ice adhesion polymeric coatings. Progress in Organic Coatings, 151, Article 106033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.porgcoat.2020.106033

Icephobic performance of low-ice adhesion polymeric coatings has been studied intensively for passive ice protection. However, limited efforts were conducted to identify strategies for enhancing the durability of the coatings to maintain low ice adhe... Read More about Durability enhancement of low ice adhesion polymeric coatings.

Combined roles of temperature and humidity on cure of a silicone elastomer (2020)
Journal Article
Elsmore, M. T., & De Focatiis, D. S. (2021). Combined roles of temperature and humidity on cure of a silicone elastomer. Polymer Testing, 93, 106967. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymertesting.2020.106967

A study of the cure kinetics of a one-part water-scavenging silicone elastomer was carried out under conditions of controlled humidity and temperature using rectangular bars subjected to oscillatory torsional shear. Characteristic cure times were obt... Read More about Combined roles of temperature and humidity on cure of a silicone elastomer.

Modeling non-linear rheology of PLLA: comparison of Giesekus and Rolie-Poly constitutive models (2020)
Journal Article
St?pie?, M., Choong, G. Y., De Focatiis, D. S., & Figiel, ?. (2020). Modeling non-linear rheology of PLLA: comparison of Giesekus and Rolie-Poly constitutive models. International Journal of Biobased Plastics, 2(1), 13-28. https://doi.org/10.1080/24759651.2020.1808367

Rheological models for biobased plastics can assist in predicting optimum processing parameters in industrial forming processes for biobased plastics and their composites such as film blowing, or injection stretch-blow molding in the packaging indust... Read More about Modeling non-linear rheology of PLLA: comparison of Giesekus and Rolie-Poly constitutive models.

A phenomenological constitutive model for the viscoelastic deformation of elastomers (2020)
Journal Article
Annarasa, V., Popov, A. A., & De Focatiis, D. S. A. (2020). A phenomenological constitutive model for the viscoelastic deformation of elastomers. Mechanics of Time-Dependent Materials, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11043-020-09452-2

This study proposes a one-dimensional constitutive model for elastomeric materials based on recent observations regarding the separation of elastic and viscous contributions in uniaxial cyclic tensile experiments on EPDM rubber. The focus is on captu... Read More about A phenomenological constitutive model for the viscoelastic deformation of elastomers.

Adaptation of material deposition parameters to account for out-time effects on prepreg tack (2020)
Journal Article
Smith, A., Endruweit, A., Choong, G., De Focatiis, D., & Hubert, P. (2020). Adaptation of material deposition parameters to account for out-time effects on prepreg tack. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 133, Article 105835. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2020.105835

A single-stage peel method was employed to determine the relationship between key processing parameters and tack for a standard aerospace carbon/epoxy prepreg subjected to various levels of room-temperature out-time. The temperature-dependent viscoel... Read More about Adaptation of material deposition parameters to account for out-time effects on prepreg tack.

An adaptable flexural test fixture for miniaturised polymer specimens (2020)
Journal Article
Choong, G. Y., Canciani, A., & De Focatiis, D. S. (2020). An adaptable flexural test fixture for miniaturised polymer specimens. Polymer Testing, 85, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymertesting.2020.106430

An adaptable flexural test fixture is proposed to characterise the mechanical properties of miniature beam specimens (?10 mg) at ambient conditions or in the presence of fluids at elevated temperatures. The fixture is validated using representative a... Read More about An adaptable flexural test fixture for miniaturised polymer specimens.

Intrinsic dependence of ice adhesion strength on surface roughness (2020)
Journal Article
Memon, H., Liu, J., De Focatiis, D. S., Choi, K., & Hou, X. (2020). Intrinsic dependence of ice adhesion strength on surface roughness. Surface and Coatings Technology, 385, Article 125382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2020.125382

The roles of surface roughness on icephobicity including ice adhesion strength have been long debated in icephobicity studies. However, the direct/systematic influence of surface roughness on ice adhesion strength while keeping other surface characte... Read More about Intrinsic dependence of ice adhesion strength on surface roughness.

A novel criterion for the prediction of meso-scale defects in textile preforming (2019)
Journal Article
Matveev, M. Y., Endruweit, A., De Focatiis, D. S., Long, A. C., & Warrior, N. A. (2019). A novel criterion for the prediction of meso-scale defects in textile preforming. Composite Structures, 226, Article 111263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2019.111263

© 2019 The Authors In numerical simulations of reinforcement preforming, fabrics are often modelled using continuum approaches with homogenised material properties in order to reduce the computational costs. To predict the occurrence of meso-scale de... Read More about A novel criterion for the prediction of meso-scale defects in textile preforming.

In-situ icing and water condensation study on different topographical surfaces (2019)
Journal Article
Memon, H., Liu, J., Weston, N., Wang, J., De Focatiis, D., Choi, K., & Hou, X. (2019). In-situ icing and water condensation study on different topographical surfaces. Cold Regions Science and Technology, 165, Article 102814. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2019.102814

Icephobicity is intrinsically affected by rough asperities and the surface voids provide anchoring points for the ice. The anchor of ice is likely to form on the surface under high humidity conditions. In-situ water condensation and icing observation... Read More about In-situ icing and water condensation study on different topographical surfaces.

Challenges to the industrial melt-processing of conductive plastics (2019)
Journal Article
Choong, G. Y. H., De Focatiis, D. S. A., Lidgett, M. J., Thornton, M. J., & Clifford, M. J. (2019). Challenges to the industrial melt-processing of conductive plastics. AIP Conference Proceedings, 2055, 090003-1 to 090003-5. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5084881

In this work, we investigate the relationship between the timescales available for polymer mobility during processing and post-processing and the electrical resistivity of melt-processed thermoplastics filled with carbon nanoparticles. Post-process a... Read More about Challenges to the industrial melt-processing of conductive plastics.

The development of a novel technique for small ring specimen tensile testing (2018)
Journal Article
Kazakeviciute, J., Rouse, J., De Focatiis, D., & Hyde, C. (2019). The development of a novel technique for small ring specimen tensile testing. Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics, 99, 131-139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tafmec.2018.11.016

The wide scale use of small specimens in routine testing programs could significantly reduce material resource requirements (factors of 10 are easily achievable). This is a major benefit to situations where there is not enough material to manufacture... Read More about The development of a novel technique for small ring specimen tensile testing.

Characterisation of tack for uni-directional prepreg tape employing a continuous application-and-peel test method (2018)
Journal Article
Endruweit, A., Choong, G. Y., Ghose, S., Johnson, B. A., Younkin, D. R., Warrior, N. A., & De Focatiis, D. S. (2018). Characterisation of tack for uni-directional prepreg tape employing a continuous application-and-peel test method. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 114, 295-306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2018.08.027

Employing a test method with coupled application and peel phases, tack was characterised for a UD prepreg tape. Different aspects of tack were explored by varying test parameters and material condition. In addition, different surface combinations wer... Read More about Characterisation of tack for uni-directional prepreg tape employing a continuous application-and-peel test method.

Frictional behaviour of non-crimp fabrics (NCFs) in contact with a forming tool (2018)
Journal Article
Avgoulas, E. I., Mulvihill, D. M., Endruweit, A., Sutcliffe, M. P., Warrior, N. A., De Focatiis, D. S., & Long, A. C. (2018). Frictional behaviour of non-crimp fabrics (NCFs) in contact with a forming tool. Tribology International, 121, 71-77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.triboint.2018.01.026

Microscopic observation and analysis are used to examine the role that contact conditions play in determining the frictional behaviour of non-crimp fabrics (NCFs). The true fibre contact length is measured over a range of normal pressures. For the NC... Read More about Frictional behaviour of non-crimp fabrics (NCFs) in contact with a forming tool.

Processing and properties of PLA-HA nanocomposites: The effect of particle morphology and dispersants (2017)
Conference Proceeding
Tomczynska, M. M., Ward, M., Choong, G. Y. H., Walton, K., De Focatiis, D. S. A., Grant, D. M., …Parsons, A. J. (2017). Processing and properties of PLA-HA nanocomposites: The effect of particle morphology and dispersants. In Proceedings of PPS-32: The 32nd International Conference of the Polymer Processing Society - Conference Papers (150004-1 - 150004-5). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5016781

Biodegradable polylactic acid nanocomposites for orthopaedic implants require optimum particle dispersion and high molecular weight in load bearing applications. Novel coated hydroxyapatite nanoparticles can offer new opportunities for enhanced dispe... Read More about Processing and properties of PLA-HA nanocomposites: The effect of particle morphology and dispersants.

The Roles of Blending and of Molecular Weight Distribution on Craze Initiation (2017)
Journal Article
Sánchez-Valencia, A., Smerdova, O., Hutchings, L. R., & De Focatiis, D. S. A. (2017). The Roles of Blending and of Molecular Weight Distribution on Craze Initiation. Macromolecules, 50(23), 9507-9514. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.7b01289

Craze initiation stress was measured in three-point bending isochronal creep tests on a series of entangled bimodal blends of polystyrenes of narrow dispersity, on three polystyrenes of broad dispersity, and on four blends of polystyrenes of broad di... Read More about The Roles of Blending and of Molecular Weight Distribution on Craze Initiation.

Can a combination of poly(ethylene glycol) and dense phase carbon dioxide improve processing of polylactide? A high pressure rheology investigation (2017)
Journal Article
Pepper, K., Masson, T., De Focatiis, D. S., & Howdle, S. M. (in press). Can a combination of poly(ethylene glycol) and dense phase carbon dioxide improve processing of polylactide? A high pressure rheology investigation. Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 133(1), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.supflu.2017.10.014

High temperature melts or use of organic solvents are not practicable approaches for encapsulating protein based or thermally labile drugs into degradable polymers. Here, we demonstrate that poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) in combination with supercritic... Read More about Can a combination of poly(ethylene glycol) and dense phase carbon dioxide improve processing of polylactide? A high pressure rheology investigation.

Double diaphragm forming simulation for complex composite structures (2017)
Journal Article
Chen, S., McGregor, O., Endruweit, A., Elsmore, M., De Focatiis, D., Harper, L., & Warrior, N. (2017). Double diaphragm forming simulation for complex composite structures. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 95, 346-358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2017.01.017

A finite element (FE) model has been developed to simulate the double diaphragm forming (DDF) process, to identify potential defects when forming complex 3D preforms from 2D biaxial non-crimp fabric plies. Three different metrics have been introduced... Read More about Double diaphragm forming simulation for complex composite structures.

Compression moulding of composites with hybrid fibre architectures (2016)
Journal Article
Corbridge, D., Harper, L. T., De Focatiis, D. S., & Warrior, N. (2017). Compression moulding of composites with hybrid fibre architectures. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 95, 87-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2016.12.018

Advanced Sheet Moulding Compounds (ASMC) and unidirectional (UD) prepregs have been co-compression moulded to form a hybrid composite material. In-mould flow influences the UD fibre architecture in two ways. When UD fibres are aligned transversely to... Read More about Compression moulding of composites with hybrid fibre architectures.

A method for the determination and correction of the effect of thermal degradation on the viscoelastic properties of degradable polymers (2016)
Journal Article
Choong, G. Y. H., & De Focatiis, D. S. (2016). A method for the determination and correction of the effect of thermal degradation on the viscoelastic properties of degradable polymers. Polymer Degradation and Stability, 130, 182-188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2016.06.018

Small amplitude oscillatory shear is carried out during isothermal degradation of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) in order to determine the evolution of the characteristic relaxation time with degradation time and temperature. After reducing the relaxation t... Read More about A method for the determination and correction of the effect of thermal degradation on the viscoelastic properties of degradable polymers.

A model for the compressible, viscoelastic behavior of human amnion addressing tissue variability through a single parameter (2015)
Journal Article
Mauri, A., Ehret, A. E., De Focatiis, D. S., & Mazza, E. (2016). A model for the compressible, viscoelastic behavior of human amnion addressing tissue variability through a single parameter. Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology, 15(4), 1005-1017. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10237-015-0739-0

A viscoelastic, compressible model is proposed to rationalize the recently reported response of human amnion in multiaxial relaxation and creep experiments. The theory includes two viscoelastic contributions responsible for the sho... Read More about A model for the compressible, viscoelastic behavior of human amnion addressing tissue variability through a single parameter.

Rheological techniques for determining degradation of polylactic acid in bioresorbable medical polymer systems (2015)
Journal Article
Choong, G. Y., Parsons, A. J., Grant, D. M., & De Focatiis, D. S. (2015). Rheological techniques for determining degradation of polylactic acid in bioresorbable medical polymer systems. AIP Conference Proceedings, 1664, Article 170005. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4918523

© 2015 AIP Publishing LLC. A method developed in the 1980s for the conversion of linear rheological data to molar mab distribution is revisited in the context of degradable polymers. The method is first applied using linear rheology for a linear poly... Read More about Rheological techniques for determining degradation of polylactic acid in bioresorbable medical polymer systems.

High-pressure rheological analysis of CO2-induced melting point depression and viscosity reduction of poly(?-caprolactone) (2015)
Journal Article
Curia, S., De Focatiis, D. S., & Howdle, S. M. (2015). High-pressure rheological analysis of CO2-induced melting point depression and viscosity reduction of poly(?-caprolactone). Polymer, 69, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2015.05.026

High-pressure rheology has been used to assess the effects of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) on the melting point (Tm) and viscosity of poly (?-caprolactone) (PCL) over a range of temperatures and pressures up to 300 bar over a wide range of sh... Read More about High-pressure rheological analysis of CO2-induced melting point depression and viscosity reduction of poly(?-caprolactone).

Role of processing history on the mechanical and electrical behavior of melt-compounded polycarbonate-multiwalled carbon nanotube nanocomposites (2015)
Journal Article
Choong, G. Y. H., Lew, C. Y., & De Focatiis, D. S. (in press). Role of processing history on the mechanical and electrical behavior of melt-compounded polycarbonate-multiwalled carbon nanotube nanocomposites. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 132(8), Article 42277. https://doi.org/10.1002/app.42277

This work investigates the effects of primary compounding temperature and secondary melt processes on the mechanical response and electrical resistivity of polycarbonate filled with 3 wt % multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNT). Nanocomposites were melt... Read More about Role of processing history on the mechanical and electrical behavior of melt-compounded polycarbonate-multiwalled carbon nanotube nanocomposites.

Time-dependent mechanical behavior of human amnion: Macroscopic and microscopic characterization (2014)
Journal Article
Mauri, A., Perrini, M., Ehret, A. E., De Focatiis, D. S., & Mazza, E. (2015). Time-dependent mechanical behavior of human amnion: Macroscopic and microscopic characterization. Acta Biomaterialia, 11, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2014.09.012

Characterizing the mechanical response of the human amnion is essential to understand and to eventually prevent premature rupture of fetal membranes. In this study, a large set of macroscopic and microscopic mechanical tests have been carried out on... Read More about Time-dependent mechanical behavior of human amnion: Macroscopic and microscopic characterization.

The role of deformation history on stress relaxation and stress memory of filled rubber (2014)
Journal Article
Fernandes Arruebarrena, V. A., & De Focatiis, D. S. (2014). The role of deformation history on stress relaxation and stress memory of filled rubber. Polymer Testing, 40, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymertesting.2014.08.018

Although the magnitudes of inelastic and viscoelastic effects in filled rubbers are small relative to that of the elastic response, these effects are nevertheless critical in applications such as gaskets, seals and dampers. This study investigates th... Read More about The role of deformation history on stress relaxation and stress memory of filled rubber.

A novel nethod of extraction of blend component structure from SANS measurements of homopolymer bimodal blends (2014)
Journal Article
Smerdova, O., Graham, R. S., Gasser, U., Hutchings, L. R., & De Focatiis, D. S. (2014). A novel nethod of extraction of blend component structure from SANS measurements of homopolymer bimodal blends. Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, 215(9), https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.201300787

A new method is presented for the extraction of single chain form factors and inter-chain interference functions from a range of small angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments on bimodal homopolymer blends. The method requires a minimum of three b... Read More about A novel nethod of extraction of blend component structure from SANS measurements of homopolymer bimodal blends.

Viscoelastic melt rheology and time-temperature superposition of polycarbonate – multi-walled carbon nanotube nanocomposites (2013)
Journal Article
Choong, G. Y., De Focatiis, D. S., & Hassell, D. G. (in press). Viscoelastic melt rheology and time-temperature superposition of polycarbonate – multi-walled carbon nanotube nanocomposites. Rheologica Acta, 52(8), https://doi.org/10.1007/s00397-013-0706-6

This work investigates the linear and non-linear viscoelastic melt rheology of four grades of polycarbonate melt-compounded with 3 wt% Nanocyl NC7000 multi-walled carbon nanotubes and of the matching matrix polymers. Amplitude sweeps reveal an earlie... Read More about Viscoelastic melt rheology and time-temperature superposition of polycarbonate – multi-walled carbon nanotube nanocomposites.

Time-temperature equivalence in the tack and dynamic stiffness of polymer prepreg and its application to automated composites manufacturing (2013)
Journal Article
Crossley, R. J., Schubel, P. J., & De Focatiis, D. S. (2013). Time-temperature equivalence in the tack and dynamic stiffness of polymer prepreg and its application to automated composites manufacturing. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 52, 126-133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2013.05.002

A recently developed peel test designed to simulate the automated tape lay-up (ATL) process was used to measure tack and dynamic stiffness of newly developed ATL prepregs. Resin was extracted from the prepreg process before impregnation of the fibres... Read More about Time-temperature equivalence in the tack and dynamic stiffness of polymer prepreg and its application to automated composites manufacturing.

A toolbox for parameter-free predictions of solid-state properties of monodisperse glassy polymers with frozen-in molecular orientation (2012)
Journal Article
De Focatiis, D. S., & Buckley, C. P. (2012). A toolbox for parameter-free predictions of solid-state properties of monodisperse glassy polymers with frozen-in molecular orientation. Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics, 50(24), https://doi.org/10.1002/polb.23196

A toolbox that allows designers to predict the properties of oriented glassy polymers using only existing material constants is constructed from a constitutive model applicable to both polymer solids and polymer melts. Two solid-state properties of p... Read More about A toolbox for parameter-free predictions of solid-state properties of monodisperse glassy polymers with frozen-in molecular orientation.

Large deformations in oriented polymer glasses: experimental study and a new glass-melt constitutive model (2010)
Journal Article
De Focatiis, D. S., Embery, J., & Buckley, C. (2010). Large deformations in oriented polymer glasses: experimental study and a new glass-melt constitutive model. Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics, 48(13), https://doi.org/10.1002/polb.22028

An experimental study was made of the effects of prior molecular orientation on large tensile deformations of polystyrene in the glassy state. A new hybrid glass-melt constitutive model is proposed for describing and understanding the results, achiev... Read More about Large deformations in oriented polymer glasses: experimental study and a new glass-melt constitutive model.

The influence of process conditions on the structure and properties of melt processed poly (lactic acid) nanohydroxyapatite composites
Conference Proceeding
Ward, M., Tomczynska, M. M., Grant, D. M., Parsons, A. J., & De Focatiis, D. S. (in press). The influence of process conditions on the structure and properties of melt processed poly (lactic acid) nanohydroxyapatite composites. . Manuscript submitted for publication