(3hh) Additive Manufacturing of Advance Polymer Composites for Functional Applications

I have been working in the field of polymer blends/composites from the last ten years. I have developed expertise in macro composites as well as nanocomposites. As a researcher, I have been fortunate to work on interdisciplinary research, primarily focused on developing a deeper understanding of advanced polymer composites. My main areas of interest in composite materials are additive manufacturing of polymer composite materials, and processing-structure-property relationships. I have focused on lightweight composite materials, processing science for efficient manufacturing and tried to translate nano-filler properties to macro-scale composites.

During my PhD., I developed lightweight low-cost polymer composites for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield applications, achieving shielding effectiveness values of ~40 dB. I also developed a protective belt for pregnant women to reduce the risks of radiation on their unborn child. This belt blocks excess RF radiation but not cell phone signals. Along with this, I was also involved to develop polymeric membrane for fuel cell application, flexible composites for anti-static and polymer-based porous sheets for water filter application.

As a postdoctoral researcher at Khalifa University, I developed 3D printable functional composite filaments for various polymers. We modified 3D printer to make unprintable materials printable and overcome the non-sticking and warpage problem associated with its poor adhesion to printing bed during fabrication of test samples. I developed 3D printable composites filament of polypropylene (PP)/Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/MWCNT for piezoresistive sensor and EMI shielding application and observed very high gauge factor values of ~350 and shielding effectiveness values of ~39 dB respectively, polylactic acid(PLA)/polycaprolactone/montmorillonite filament for biocompatible scaffold and observed adequate cytocompatibility and cell adhesion, PLA/MWCNT/LiFePO4 filament for coin cell battery and achieved specific capacities of 155 and 127 mAh g^-1 and areal capacities of 1.7 and 4.4 mAh cm^-2 for 100 and 300 µm thick electrodes respectively and poly ether ether ketone/graphene filament for structural and thermal applications.

In my current position at Texas A&M University, I am working on an industry-sponsored project to examine electrochemically exfoliated graphene (EEG)/polymer composites. We have added EEG (up to 1 wt.%) in two different HDPE matrices via melt blending and investigated mechanical and rheological responses of composites. An improvement of 31% and 40% in tensile modulus and 19% and 33% in tensile strength was observed in low and high MFI HDPE/EEG nanocomposites, respectively, at 0.2 wt.% EEG loading. In the second phase of this project, we will explore the effect of EEG nanosheets on the properties of various grades of polypropylene and bromo butyl rubber.

In the future, I plan to expand my work on multi-functional polymer composites which include graphene/MWCNT-filled polymer composites, MXene polymer composites, and additive manufacturing of thermoplastic and rubber materials. I want to explore the multi-functional feasibility of these composites in applications such as EMI shielding, piezoresistive sensor, and energy-harvesting piezoelectric actuators. Translation of nano-filler properties to macro-scale composites is a challenging task, I plan to focus the efforts of my future lab on tackling this challenge.

Teaching Interests:

I understand that research is important but more important is to share the knowledge so that new research generation can develop a scientific approach. Teaching is essential for all researchers. I am fully dedicated and passionate about teaching. The foundation of my teaching philosophy is to educate and develop critical thinking and problem-solving approach in students and further facilitate the acquisition of life-long learning skills. I worked as an assistant professor in the chemical engineering department of NIT Jalandhar, India from June 2017 to June 2019. At NIT, I had the opportunity to design and teach courses to undergraduate and graduate students which was a building block for my teaching career.

With my prior experience in teaching, I am confident that I can teach undergraduate and graduate courses such as Fluid Mechanics, Unit Operation, Additive Manufacturing of Materials, Polymer Blends and Composites, and Polymer Rheology.