Innovative composite and nano-composite materials for advanced industries

Composite materials are fundamental in modern product development, as they help to enhance the performance of engineering systems, enabling special mechanical properties, electrical responses, thermal behavior and typically optimizing overall weight. Traditional fiber-reinforced polymers perform at par with special and expensive alloys. Resins functionalized with nano-particles promote special mechanical, thermal, electrical, optical and even self-sensing and piezo-chromic effects. Multi-layered materials combine structural stability with impact resistance, even performing as complex organic biomaterials. Lattices with knitted electrically conductive or reinforcing fibers enable “smart” composites with actuation capabilities or with improved biological response. Some fields of research linked to composites and nano-composites, to which we devote efforts include:

• 3D printed resins with nano-fillers for improved product functionalities.
• Self-sensing composites and nano-composites for smart engineering systems.
• Smart shape-memory composites for electro-thermo-mechanical coupling in smart systems.
• Composite tissue engineering scaffolds for biomimetic response in articular repair.
• Characterization and modelling of composite and nano-composite materials.
• Industrial applications of composite and nano-composite materials.