סמינר מחלקתי של ישראל קלרשטיין- עקרונות עיצוב היררכי עבור חומרים ביו-מרוכבים רב-תכליתיים

Hierarchical Design Principles for Multifunctional Biocomposites

Monday December 23th at 14:00 

Wolfson Building of Mechanical Engineering, Room 206

Abstract:

Balancing strength and toughness remains a fundamental challenge in designing structural materials, as these properties are inherently contradictory. Overcoming this trade-off is essential for creating damage-tolerant materials capable of meeting rigorous structural demands. In the first part of my talk, I will present my past research on biological materials, focusing on their hierarchical organization and multiscale mechanical properties. I will highlight structural strategies that can be applied to engineering composites to address the strength-toughness conflict. In the second part, I will discuss how biological principles have guided the development of sustainable materials. Using a bottom-up fabrication approach, structural hierarchy was integrated to achieve enhanced mechanical performance and multifunctionality in engineered biocomposites. Biological materials inherently solve the strength-toughness challenge through evolved design principles. By understanding and applying these principles, we can develop the next generation of damage-tolerant composites, advancing structural performance to unprecedented levels.

Bio:

Israel Kellersztein is a postdoctoral scholar and Fulbright Fellow in the Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering and the Resnick Institute for Sustainability at Caltech. He earned his Ph.D. from the Weizmann Institute of Science in 2020 and completed his M.Sc. in Plastics and Polymer Engineering from Shenkar College, in a direct track. His research lies at the intersection of natural materials science and advanced manufacturing. His research focuses on understanding the multiscale mechanics of biological composites and leveraging these insights to design structural bioinspired composites with enhanced damage tolerance.