A group of researchers from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering have been awarded a $659,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to study 3D printed composites that could be used to protect military troops from explosions.
The FAMU-FSU team will collaborate with their counterparts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Brookhaven National Lab.
The researchers are studying new materials made from polymer (resin) matrix composites. The versatility of these materials is vast and has the potential to make planes light-weight and more fuel-efficient
Subramanian Ramakrishnan, a professor and researcher in the FAMU-FSU Engineering Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering explains that the research is not only about making new materials, but also about providing scientists information and guidelines that will result in the development of lighter and stronger materials.
“We are asking the question of why and how things happen,” Ramakrishnan said. “We want to know how to develop novel materials, and help to advance design rules for processing them.”
Their research has caught the eye of Boeing Co. and the Air Force Research Lab for the materials potential to increase aircraft range and a reduction of fuel consumption. Additionally, the new manufacturing possibilities of the material show promise, but issues in the structure of these materials need further research.