After a year-long procurement process the Soft Matter Group has finally received its Anton Paar SAXSPoint 5.0 system for Small- and Wide-Angle X-Ray Scattering analysis. This £400,000 equipment is one of a handful of similar systems in the UK and provides the University of Leeds with access to an on-site laboratory-scale equivalent to a National...
Victoria, A., Hine, P.J., Ward, K. et al. Design of experiments in the optimization of all-cellulose composites. Cellulose (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-023-05535-8 Link to read In this work, statistical design of experiments (DoE) was applied to the optimization of all cellulose composites (ACCs) using cotton textile and interleaf films under applied heat and pressure. The...
J. Hobbs, M. Reynolds, M.K. Srinatha, G. Shanker, J. Mattsson, M. Nagaraj. The relaxation dynamics and dielectric properties of cyanobiphenyl based nematic tripod liquid crystals. Journal of Molecular Liquids 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2023.123069 Link to read Liquid crystal tripods combine properties of low molecular weight liquid crystals and liquid crystal polymers. There is significant interest in better...
Alrefaei, N.S., Hine, P.J. & Ries, M.E. Dissolution of hemp yarns by 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate studied with time-temperature superposition. Cellulose (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-023-05534-9. This study examined the dissolution of hemp yarns in the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate. Yarns were immersed in the liquid at different temperatures and times, then coagulated in water, forming a composite yarn....
“Dissolution of cotton by 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate studied with time–temperature superposition for three different fibre arrangements” Y Liang, JE Hawkins, ME Ries, PJ Hine Cellulose, 28, 715-727, 2021
A new partnership between leading science and technology company Merck and the University aims to expand the use of liquid crystals in optical innovations. The five year collaboration will focus on the development of liquid crystals, commonly used in smartphones and TV screens, into non-display instruments such as switchable contact lenses and virtual-reality glasses. As...
Advances in polymer composites: Paving the way for product innovation The Soft Matter Group has developed a cost-effective process for manufacturing lightweight, high impact resistant polymer composites, which has been commercialised over a wide range of applications including luggage and anti-ballistic body armour. Over many years fundamental polymer research at Leeds has, in parallel with...
In collaboration between the Soft Matter Group in Leeds, and researchers at Oslo University, a striking transition was discovered between two classes of self-organizing patterns in draining thin-film suspensions. The patterns are surprisingly common in everyday life, and immediately recognizable. This is because draining thin-film suspensions encompass two extremely familiar cases: dirt and food. From...