Francis Gadala-Maria

Associate Professor

The main theme of Prof. Gadala-Maria’s research is relating the microstructure of materials to their macroscopic properties. The principal techniques used by him and his collaborators are rheological measurements and digital image processing. Past research projects include the correlation of the rheological and electrical properties of concentrated suspensions of non-colloidal particles to the shear-induced anisotropic arrangement of the suspended particles, and the effect of shear prior to curing on the arrangement of the inclusions and on the final properties of composite materials. The results from these projects may be useful in the manufacture of products as diverse as solid rocket propellants and bipolar plates for fuel cells. The technique developed to measure the orientation distribution of fibers in short-fiber composites may find application in the manufacture of products such as paper and non-woven textiles. Other projects include studies of the rheology of the solder pastes and other industrial materials, and the effect of the rheology of fresh concrete on the settlement of its aggregates before curing. Current projects include the rheology of bulk molding compounds, the rheology of natural polysaccharides, and the economics of the production of hydrogen from nuclear power.