Composites and Plastics Lab

Composites and Plastics Lab

News

PI Dr. Jitendra Tate: Texas State wins NSF-NUE 2012 (Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education) grant

Details: NSF Website University Webpage  School of Engineering Webpage Austin Business Journal

Composites and Plastics Lab (CPL) at Texas State University-San Marcos is involved in education, research, manufacturing, characterization, safe material handling of polymer nanocomposites. CPL has its own advanced manufacturing and characterization equipment and has access to state of the art facilities of Ingram School of Engineering.

Activities

Composite Manufacturing:

• Advanced polymeric composites using vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM)
• Resin Transfer Molding (RTM)
• Hand lay-up
• Compression molding
• Prepreg

Plastics Manufacturing:

• Injection molding
• Compression molding
• Extrusion

Characterization:

• Optical and Digital microscopy
• Statis mechanical testing: tension, compression, shear, bending, interlaminar shear,
• Axial fatigue tests
• Impact: low velocity drop impact, izod impact tests
• Thermal: creep, coefficient of thermal expansion, glass transition temperature
• Fire Smoke Toxicity (FST): Radiant Panel, UL-94 fire tests.

Education:

• Courses: MFGE 4367: Composites and Plastics; MFGE 4399: Polymer Nanocomposites
• Safe Handling of Nanomaterials (NSF grant for Nanotechnology Safety)
• SAMPE International Compsite Bridge Building Contests
• Formula SAE
• Senior Design Projects