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SUMMARY:Instabilities in Liquid Crystal Elastomers - Angela Mihai (Cardiff
  University)
DTSTART:20230714T090000Z
DTEND:20230714T100000Z
UID:TALK193963@talks.cam.ac.uk
DESCRIPTION:\n\n\nLiquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are responsive multifun
 ctional materials that combine the flexibility of polymeric networks with 
 the self-organisation of liquid crystals. Due to their complex molecular a
 rchitecture\, they can exhibit dramatic spontaneous deformations and phase
  transitions\, which are reversible and repeatable under external stimuli\
 , such as heat\, light\, solvents\, and electric or magnetic fields. These
  properties could be harnessed for a variety of advanced technological app
 lications\, including soft actuators\, sensors\, biomedical engineering an
 d renewable energy.&nbsp\;An important problem for both applications and o
 ur fundamental understanding of LCEs is their instability under large stra
 ins\, as this can be useful in actuation\, sensing\, or patterning. The go
 al is then to identify parameter values at which a bifurcation emerges\, a
 nd how these values change with external stimuli\, such as temperature\, o
 r loads. Constitutive parameters of real manufactured materials have also 
 an inherent variation that needs to be taken into account. In this talk\, 
 I will present an overview of instabilities occurring in nematic elastomer
 s\, and examine the contribution of nematic order and fluctuating model pa
 rameters that follow probability laws. This mechanical analysis may lead t
 o a more effective material characterisation of LCEs.\n\n\n
LOCATION:Seminar Room 1\, Newton Institute
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