News

Grad student wins defense fellowship to develop multifunctional composites

Nanomaterials may be small, but they offer a tremendous range of properties and possible applications. Carbon nanotubes can provide the foundation for multifunctional structures that sense and heal damage within themselves while also serving other roles such as energy storage, thermal management, and electromagnetic interference shielding.

Research focuses on manufacturing composite orthotics for injured soldiers

Imagine being able to use a 3-D "printer" to produce a custom orthotic device for a soldier with a severe lower extremity injury. Constructed of strong and durable yet lightweight composite materials, the device is designed to meet the user's specific needs. It can be fabricated in just 24 hours, and its "tunable" properties allow it to be modified to meet the wounded warrior's changing needs over the course of rehabilitation.