Conference themes

We are again inviting papers in the areas reflecting the current and future interests of TC4 as listed below. New developments and innovative applications are especially welcome. Both experimental and theoretical work is sought, including modelling and simulation, in order to give a balanced view of the subject areas:

• Polymers: Low rate properties, Kc, Gc and Jc. Essential work of fracture, we. Impact and high rate properties. Ductile energy dissipation and notching effects. Environmental effects. Fracture in soft materials. Cutting, machining and scratching.
• Composites: Delamination in continuous fibre composites including cross-ply and 3D reinforcement. Impact and high rate properties. Fatigue fracture, damage mechanisms, thermal properties, experimental characterization and simulation. Toughness of short fibre, particulate, or nano- and micro-scale reinforced composites. Pure and mixed-mode fracture. Peeling of flexible laminates.
• Adhesives: Structural adhesives toughness evaluation. Geometry and thickness effects on Gc.  Measuring toughness in highly toughened adhesive joints, including Jc testing. Toughening mechanisms, including nano-scale additives. Impact and high rate behaviour. Environmental effects. Peeling of flexible laminates.
• Application of fracture mechanics: Service life prediction models, including cyclic fatigue loads and environmental ageing effects. Data for FE design codes. Applications in structural engineering, electronics, pipelines and layered structures. Crash simulations.