In addition to providing the models required to improve automotive comfort and durability, the research is of critical importance in the design of automobiles for crash worthiness. Several group members collaborate on various problems related to the friction and wear of materials used in automotive and aircraft braking systems. The ultimate goal of this work is to improve the reliability of friction materials. A majority of the group members are involved in projects related to the fatigue and fracture of engineering materials. In the Composite and Fibrous Mechanics Laboratory, Assistant Professor Ann Marie Sastry and her students investigate the performance of fibrous materials ranging from batteries to human nerves.
Image analysis is used to recreate observed microstructures.
Statistical techniques are used to generate structures for prediction of the effect of material variability on NiMH batteries.