Session: Rising Stars of Mechanical Engineering Celebration & Showcase

Paper Number: 148186

148186 - Mechanics of Next-Generation Composites Using Cellulose and Bioinspired Interfaces 

This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant will lay the research and educational foundations to usher plant-inspired design to address challenges for next-generation composites. As existing composites reach their functionality limits, sometimes with disruptive consequences on earth, engineering design needs to shift to sustainable materials. Furthermore, a biobased economy is also necessary for the viability of rural America. The project is uniquely positioned to address both these challenges through (1) research focus on the fundamental mechanics of plant cell wall and their interfaces to drive innovation in flexible composites, and (2) educational focus on rural and Native American communities to increase their preparedness for the high-skilled STEM workforce of the future. The remarkable ability for plants to survive and adapt to their environment can be attributed to their cell wall, balancing constraints from strength, fluid flow, and thermal regulation. The overarching research goal is to decode these principles for the cell wall of a fast-growing plant stem and use it to design new composites. Such flexible plant-inspired materials can have broad implications in tissue engineering, robotics, wearable electronics, and defense industries. The project will also collaborate with a science museum to develop and disseminate culturally integrated materials science curricula for underrepresented communities. Simultaneously, the project will also create research opportunities for undergraduates to increase their engagement and retention, and advance lasting benefits to society.

The overall research goal is to create new engineering insights into the organization of primary cell wall structure in a fast-growing plant stem and use these insights to guide the design and manufacturability of cellulose-reinforced composites for flexibility and temperature sensitivity. The research objectives are to (1) create a micromechanics-based multiscale computational framework of the primary cell wall to identify the underlying mechanics driving their thermomechanical response, (2) experimentally investigate the fiber-matrix (here cellulose-pectin) interfaces within the cell wall under variable environmental constraints to guide the computational framework and develop predictive models, and (3) develop an electrospinning-based manufacturing platform to create cell-wall inspired flexible fiber-reinforced structures. The research will focus on the thick-walled xylem vascular tissue due to its multifunctionality for strength, water conduction, and temperature management. By taking a systematic and holistic approach from multiscale mechanics to interface characterization and manufacturing, this project will address unanswered questions to design next-generation multifunctional flexible composites. The project outcomes will open the field for a machine learning-based predictive platform for applications to broader engineering systems.

Presenting Author: Anamika Prasad Florida International University

Presenting Author Biography: Anamika Prasad is an Associate Professor in the Biomedical Engineering Department at Florida International University (FIU). She has a joint appointment with the Mechanical and Materials Engineering. She received her Ph.D. from MIT, postdoctoral training from Stanford University, and has over four years of industry experience. Dr. Prasad's research is at the intersection of materials science, structural mechanics, and biological systems, with an application focus on bioinspired composites, sustainable materials, biomaterials, and biomedical devices for precision agriculture and healthcare. Dr. Prasad is a recipient of the prestigious NSF CAREER award and the DOD's DURIP grant. Her work has been highlighted by multiple outlets, including Newswise, Physics.org, Acta Materialia, Air Force Research Lab, and University publications. Beyond research, Dr. Prasad is keen on using materials education as a vehicle for STEM workforce development, current focus on rural and Native American communities.

Authors:

Anamika Prasad Florida International University