Dr. Arief Yudhanto, a postdoctoral research scientist in mechanical engineering at Baylor University, will give a seminar titled "Fracture in Advanced Composite Materials and Hybrid Bonded Joints."

Abstract: Advanced composite materials play a vital role in manufacturing aerospace and automotive structures. Despite their immense potential, several technological challenges must be addressed to realize their full capabilities. Specifically, challenges related to damage and fracture in composites require innovative approaches to experimentation and modeling strategies. This talk will focus on three key topics: (1) investigating micro-scale fracture mechanisms in composites through advanced experimental methods and micro-mechanical modeling; (2) enhancing fracture toughness and strength of hybrid bonded joints by employing additive manufactured microstructures and auxetic adhesive concept; (3) characterizing fracture toughness in large-scale additively manufactured composites. The critical issues in fracture mechanics of advanced composites can be resolved by integrating theoretical, numerical, and experimental methods. This comprehensive approach will significantly enhance their damage tolerance capabilities, particularly in aerospace structures.

Biography: Dr. Arief Yudhanto earned his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Tokyo Metropolitan University, where he conducted two years of research on the 3D stitched composites at the Aviation Technology Directorate of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). He holds a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering (Computational Solid Mechanics) from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and a bachelor's in Aeronautical Engineering (Lightweight Structures and Materials) from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB). Before joining Baylor University, Dr. Yudhanto worked at KAUST in Saudi Arabia, TMU in Japan, Hitachi GST, and A*STAR in Singapore. He has authored/co-authored 54 journal articles published in Nature Communications, Composite Science and Technology, Composites Part A, Composites Part B, Composite Structures, and Soft Robotics, among others. He received the SABIC Recognition Award in 2023. He has also led several industrial and inter-university research projects and trained graduate students in the mechanics of composite structures.