Speaker: Professor Habiba Bougherara
Affiliation: Professor, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering,
Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada
Location: Mechanical Engineering Building, 5 King’s College Rd, Room MC331
Date: Monday, April 29th, 2019
Time: 11 am – 12 pm
Abstract: In the last decade natural fiber-reinforced composites have gained increased attention because they present significant advantages such as low density and tailorable adequate mechanical properties. In addition, they are renewable, recyclable and biodegradable. However, despite the advances achieved with natural-fiber composites, problems such as wettability (hyrophillicity), degradation and variability have limited their use for load bearing applications. This research work presents the state-of-the-art of current materials used for biomedical applications and their limitations and also highlights the new advances in natural fiber composites. This research will present a comprehensive study about Flax/epoxy composites and discuss the challenges facing such composite materials when they are tailored to fit load bearing applications.
Key Words: Natural fiber composites, Hybrid composites, Advanced manufacturing, Biomedical load bearing applications, Mechanical Characterization
Brief Biography: Dr. Habiba Bougherara, an award-wining full professor in the department of mechanical and industrial engineering at Ryerson, developed a world class research in high performance biocomposites for various engineering applications, including biomedical, automotive, aerospace, and military. Her research aims to enhance the performance of advanced composite material through bioinspired design, optimization and multiscale modeling.
Dr. Bougherara made significant contributions in four main areas namely, i) processing and characterization of new emerging multifunctional composites and nanocomposites, ii) non-destructive characterization of advanced composites and natural fibre composites, iii) Multiscale modeling for the prediction of the durability of high temperature composites, and iv) drilling and assembly of advanced composites using conventional and abrasive water jet machining techniques. These contributions have significantly advanced the fundamental understanding of the interaction of microstructure, processing, and performance, resulting in more than 150 peer-reviewed/conference papers, 2 patents, and 10 book chapters.
Dr. Bougherara won several awards, including the prestigious Early Researchers Award from Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, Collaborative Research award, YSGS Outstanding Contribution to Graduate Education Award. She is also three-times winner of Ryerson Research Excellence Award.
Prof. Bougherara’s lecture is hosted by the Toronto Institute for Advanced Manufacturing as part of the Distinguished Speaker Seminars.