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Polymer Fluids Group: Christmas Social

 Members of the PFG at the Chrismas social 2008, held at Prof. Mackley's home

Photo: Members of the Polymer Fluids Group at Professor Mackley's house. 

Once more, Professor Mackley and his wife kindly invited the members of the Polymer Fluids Group and their partners to party at his home on the 3rd December to celebrate the start of winter. All who attended enjoyed the evening and would like to thank Margaret and for the excellent food and drink. A special thank you goes to Amanda for the pumpkin cheesecake.

Thanksgiving: 27th November 2008

 PFG members at the University'sThanksgiving lunch.

Photo: Members of the Polymer Fluids Group at the university's Thanksgiving lunch. 

Members of the Polymer Fluids Group, led by Ben and his wife Amanda, attended the University's Thanksgiving lunch, held at the University Centre.

XVth International Congress on Rheology: 3rd - 8th August 2008, Monterey, California, USA

 Members of the PFG at the conference with Prof. Paco Chinesta

Photo: Professor Paco Chinesta with members of the Polymer Fluids Group at the conference. 

Members of the Polymer Fluids Group attended the XVth International Congress on Rheology, which was held at Monterey, California, USA. The group gave the following presentations:

  • The rheology of carbon nanotube (CNT) suspensions: Experiments and modelling
    Anson Ma
  • Experimental and computational evaluation of polymer flow for increasing aspect ratio geometries in two complex flows
    Tim Lord
  • The rheology of optically transparent polystyrene blends filled with cross-linked polystyrene beads
    Tim Lord
  • Using hollow microcapillaries to explore the extrusion rheology of polymer films
    Dora Medina
  • Rheo-optic flow-induced crystallization of polyethylene and polypropylene within confined flow geometries
    Lino Scelsi
  • Numerical simulation of the deformation and break-up of droplets subjected to complex, time dependent strain rates
    James Waldmeyer
  • Linear viscoelastic rheology and extensional flow behaviour of low viscosity viscoelastic polymer solutions and inkjet fluids
    Prof. Malcolm Mackley
 Members of the PFG socialising with their friends at the conference.

Photo: Members of the Polymer Fluids Group and friends relaxing at the conference

Nuffield Science Bursary Scheme 2008

 Eleanor Mottram, Nuffield Science Bursary Student 2008, operating the ARES rheometer

Photo: Eleanor operating the ARES rheometer

The Polymer Fluids Group took part in the Nuffield Science Bursary Scheme again this year. The scheme allows sixth form students to gain experience of research in an academic or industrial laboratory for approximatley one month during the summer vacation. The regonal co-ordinator for the Cambridge area is STEM Team Cambridgeshire. This year Eleanor Mottram worked with Drs Simon Butler, Damien Vadillo and Tim Lord to investigate the rheology of hens eggs. This included studying the rheology of egg white, yolk and scrambled egg and investigated the effect of heating.

New Group Member

 Nuno with his new baby daughter Ema

Photo: Nuno with his new daughter Ema

Nuno's wife Cassi gave birth to their first child, a girl, Ema, on Monday 28th July. Both are well and we wish them all the best.

PPS24: 15th - 19th June 2008

 Tim Lord with former group member Ashish Lele at the conference

Photo: Tim Lord and former group member Ashish Lele whilst at PPS 24 in Salerno, discussing MPRs by the the side of a Greek temple at Pestrum, Italy.

Members of the Polymer Fluids Group attended the Polymer Processing Society's 24th annual meeting, which was held a Salerno, Italy. The group gave the following presentations:

  • The development of voidage and capillary size within extruded plastic films - Dora Medina
  • The processing of optically transparent polystyrene blends filled with cross-linked polystyrene beads - Tim Lord
  • Flow-induced crystallisation of polyethylene and polypropylene melts - Lino Scelsi
  • The Rheology and Microstructure of Carbon Nanotube (CNT) Suspensions - Anson Ma

Polymer Fluids Group Social: 25th April 2008

 

 Members of the Polymer Fluids Group at Prof. Mackley's home
 Photo: Members of the Polymer Fluids Group and their partners at Prof. Mackley's party

Professor Mackley and his wife again kindly invited the members of the Polymer Fluids Group and their partners to party at his home on the 25th April. All who attended enjoyed the evening and the good food and drink.

Bioenergy: Challenges and Opportunities: Portugal, 6th - 9th April 2008

 Arjan, Ben and Nuno at the confernece dinner

Photo: Arjan, Ben and Nuno at the conference dinner

Ben Taylor, Arjan Abeynaike, and Nuno Reis attended the international conference and exhibition on bioenergy from 6th - 9th April at the University of Minho in Guimaraes, Portugal. The conference, entitled "Bioenergy: Challenges and Opportunities", included experts in fields ranging from ecology and engineering to economics and politics. There were many views presented on the directions in which bioenergy will or should focus, but a consensus that bioenergy must play an important role in worldwide energy and fuel was clearly evident. The hot topics of the conference were anaerobic digestion to produce biogas, traditional, 1st generation biofuels generated from crops such as rapeseed and maize, 2nd generation biofuels from cellulosic crop materials, and the special category of biofuels generated from algae. The conference proved a worthwhile endeavour, bringing together top researchers to address crucial environmental, social, and fuel supply security concerns and potential solutions. The setting was wonderful, the people delightful, and the content stimulating.

David goes to the East

 

 David and other members of the Polymer Fluids Group at a formal hall dinner before he left.
 Photo: David (centre) and other members of the group attending formal hall before he left for Malaysia

 

Dr David Hassell, who has worked in the Polymer Fluids Group for a number of years, has left to take up a lecturing position at the University of Nottingham's Malysia Campus. David will be working in the School of Chemical and Enviromental Engineering. This follows his successful research on polymer melts conducted as part of the second microscale polymer processing consortuim (muPP2). We wish David all the best in the future.

muPP2 Spring Meeting: University of Bradford, 2nd - 4th April 2008

 Lino presenting his work at the Bradford muPP2 meeting

Photo: Lino giving his presentation to the meeting 

Professor Mackley, David Hassell, Tim Lord, Lino Scelsi and Simon Butler attended the muPP2 Spring meeting in Bradford during the Easter break. The meeting was held to discuss the latest research conducted as part of the second Microscale Polymer Processing consortium. Lino gave a presentation on his work investigating polymer crystallisation entitled "Flow-induced crystallisation of HDPE and PP in a Multi-Pass Rheometer". He and Tim Lord also presented posters to the meeting entitled:

  • The sensitivity of the numerical predictions of principal stress difference (PSD) and pressure difference for a HDPE flowing in an abrupt contraction to the choice of fitting parameters for a tube-theory based constititutive equation. Lino Scelsi
  • The processing behaviour of an optically transparent polystyrene blend in which the polystyrene matrix is filled with cross-linked polystyrene beads, Tim Lord

 

 Lino presenting his poster at the Bradford muPP2 meeting   Tim presenting his poster at the Bradford muPP2 meeting
 Photo: Lino (left) and Tim (right) presenting their posters at the meeting.

Dr Tuladhar moves on

 Dr Tir Tuladhar

Photo: Dr Tri Tuladhar

Dr Tri Tuladhar, who has worked in the Polymer Fluids Group for a number of years, is leaving the group. Tri has decided to try life in the "real world" and is joining Xaar. This follows his successful research on ink jet printing. We wish Tri all the best in the future.

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