Projects
Understanding moisture ageing and improving durability of bio-based composite materials KU Leuven
The study of moisture sorption in bio-based composite materials is significant to evaluate its effect on the durability of the product. The mechanism of water permeation in the composite results to changes in the internal structure of the fiber. The intrusion of water often causes damage to the material. In this study, wet-dry cycle method will be employed to determine how moisture affects the ageing process and how durability of the ...
SiC composite claddings: LWR performance optimization for nominal and accident conditions KU Leuven
The Fukushima Daiichi event in 2011 demonstrated the need for enhanced nuclear energy safety, becoming a major driving force for global investments in accident-tolerant fuels (ATFs) over the past decade. Candidate ATF cladding material concepts that are being developed in replacement of the standard zirconium-based alloy (zircaloy) fuel cladding materials used in light water reactors (LWRs) must outperform commercial zircaloys under nominal ...
Research and development of an optimal and cost-efficient enzymatic extraction method for production of high quality natural fibers for application in composite materials. KU Leuven
During recent years, there has been a renewed interest for natural fibers such as flax, hemp and bamboo. Plant fibers possess good mechanical properties due to their high content of crystalline cellulose. Unlike glass fibers, natural fibers are biodegradable and have a positive impact on CO2 emissions. Furthermore, natural fibers are non-abrasive, widely available and exhibit a low density. In this context, natural fibers show an interesting ...
Electrodeposition of metals, alloys and composite materials from acetamide-dimethyl sulfone eutectic melts KU Leuven
Mixtures of acetamide and dimethylsulfone (DMSO2) with dissolved anhydrous transition metal chlorides are introduced as new non-aqueous electrolytes for the preparation of luminescent composite metal coatings. Red-emitting (Eu2O3 and Y2O3:Eu3+), yellow-emitting (Y3Al5O12:Ce3+), ...
Coating technology for flax and hemp fiber in the composite sector KU Leuven
General purpose
Commercializing a unidirectional flax or hemp fiber preform for composite applications, bonded and functionalized with the coating technology developed in the PhD. This preform has the best performance compared to other natural fiber preforms, and is cost competitive with glass.
OptiVAS Optimized pressure vessels through composite Variability Simulation KU Leuven
Hydrogen for Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) is stored in composite pressure vessels (CVP). Current industry standards require CVPs to be designed with a safety factor of 2.25 compared to the 'Nominal Working Pressure'. The aim of the present project is to use an intelligently designed and efficiently manufactured CVP to narrow the margin for uncertainty in the design phase and to reduce the weight of the product. The immediate result is ...
Chemical synthesis of inorganic composite solid electrolytes with enhanced ionic conductivity by interfacial Li+ ion diffusion. Hasselt University
Composite membranes for gas separation KU Leuven
This work is focused on the investigation of different aspects of composite membranes development: i) synthesis of nanoparticles and fillers, with surface modified by silane coupling agents, used for preparation of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs), ii) flat dense MMMs preparation using commercial and home-synthesized polyimides and different zeolitic fillers, and iii) Thin Film Composite (TFC) membranes study.
In the first part of the ...
Simulation-based design of hybrid nano-reinforced composite materials for toughness KU Leuven
The project aims at overcoming one of the major limitations of fiber-reinforced polymer composites - a rather low strain threshold for the onset of damage in the form of matrix cracks often starting at interfaces. The scientific and technological goal of the project is to develop strategies for the design of super tough structural composites.