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International Conference – ICCBN – Kicks off at DUT’s Ritson Campus

International Conference – ICCBN – Kicks off at DUT’s Ritson Campus

The official proceedings of the First International Conference on Composites, Biocmposites and Nanocomposites (ICCBN) began yesterday (Monday, December 2, 2013) at the Durban University of Technology’s Ritson Campus.

Organised by Professor Mervyn Kanny, Head of the Composite Research Group (CRG) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the conference affords international scientists and researchers an opportunity to discuss topical issues pertaining to the field of engineering while also allowing them to network.

Various topics involving the processing, testing, analysis and modeling of composites, biocomposites and nanocomposites are being discussed at the conference.

The conference began with two plenary presentations delivered by Professor Sarp Adali of the University of KwaZulu Natal and Professor Ramachandran Velmurugan of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India. Prof Adali opened with his presentation on Nanocomposites: An overview and Some Results while Prof Velmurugan presented on Impact Studies of Composite Materials.

Prof Velmurugan’s topic was based on ongoing research that is being conducted in India around the use and improvement of composite materials. Composites refer to two or more materials which are combined and used in various engineering applications such as the manufacturing of windmills, motor vehicles and boats. According to Prof Velmurugan, composite materials are tailor-made to replace metallic structures like steel and aluminum. The advantages of composites include having high-strength, light weight and being corrosion-resistant. What is most important about the creation of these materials is the impact, which Prof Velmurugan said refers to how materials can withstand collisions. He added that nanoparticles are now being utilised to improve the strength of composites.

There will be four more plenary presentations delivered during the course of the conference. Over 100 papers will also be presented during parallel sessions, with selected papers to be recommended for publication in the Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites, Journal of Composite Materials as well as Strain.

– Naledi Hlefane

Pictured: Professor Ramachandran Velmurugan, Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, India, who delivered a presentation on Impact Studies of Composite Materials at ICCBN on Monday (December 2, 2013).

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