Alfred A Silano
Research Professor
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Early in his research career, Dr. Silano discovered the shear-girdle effect and the shear induced stress whitening in several solid polymers. Both phenomenon are precursors to failure, and must be considered in the design of plastic products.
Dr. Silano's current research has been directed toward understanding and manipulating the relationship between polymer structure and material properties in solid polymeric materials. Electromechanical instruments designed and developed in his laboratory can monitor the tensile, compressive, and shear response required to treat and modify the behaviors of polymers. The application of multiaxial stress/strain fields to polymer rods and films may alter their mechanical, electrical, and physical properties in beneficial ways. The structure-property connection is critical to the processing of polymers in order to optimize the final product.
Electroactive polymers may also be influenced by the presence of various combinations of stress/strain. These treatments can be adapted for materials used in the design of MEMS and nanostructure devices to modify their behavior for special applications. It is in this interesting part of electrical technology that Dr. Silano is now immersed. Dr. Silano can be found in the Polymer Pit in BEC where he continues to search for the relationship between macro and micro behaviors in solid polymers.
Education
M.S. (Engineering Science), Newark College of Engineering, NJIT, 1966
B.S. (Physical Sciences), Rutgers University, 1952
Selected Publications
Silano, A.A., K.D. Pae, and J.A. Sauer, "Effects of Hydrostatic Pressure on Shear Deformation of Polymers," Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Deformation and Fracture of Polymers, Churchill College, University of Cambridge, England (1976), pp.4.1.-4.6.
Pae, K.D. and A.A. Silano, "Electromechanical High-Pressure Torsion Apparatus," Review of Scientific Instruments, 48,307 (1977).
Silano, A.A., K.D. Pae, and J.A. Sauer, "Effects of Hydrostatic Pressure on the Shear Deformation of Polymers," Journal of Applied Physics, 22,4076 (1977).
Pae, K.D. and A.A. Silano, "Shear Girdling Phenomenon in Polymers," Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 22,3021 (1978).
Pae, K.D. and J.A. Sauer, and A.A. Silano, "Shear Deformation Under Hydrostatic Pressure of Polyetrafluoroethylene and Polycarbonate," High Pressure Science and Technology, Proceedings of the Sixth AIRAPT Conference, Vol. 2, K.D. Timmerhaus and M.S. Barker, (eds.) Plenum Press, New York, N.Y. (1979), pp. 512-518.
Silano, A.A., "Pressure-Dependent Shear-Deformation Behavior in Polymers," Reviews of the Deformation Behavior of Materials, 4,49 (1982).
Silano, A.A. and J.R. Couper, "Temperature-Dependent Shear Deformation Response of Polyvinylidene Fluoride," Bulletin of the American Physical Society, 32,660 (1987).
Couper, J.R. and A.A. Silano, "Shear Deformation Behavior of Polysulfone and Polyethersulfone," Bulletin of the American Physical Society, 33,505 (1988).
Silano, A.A. and J.R. Couper, "Shear Yield Behavior of Polymethylpentene," Bulletin of the American Physical Society, 34,755 (1989).
Silano, A.A., "Shear Stress-Strain Induce Whitening in Polymethylpentene," Bulletin of the American Physical Society, 41, (1) 564 (1996).
Silano, A.A., "Shear Deformation Behavior of Modified Poly (phenylene ethers)," Bulletin of the American Physical Society, 42 (1), 469 (1997).
Tung, S., S.R. Witherspoon, L.A. Roe, A. Silano, D.P. Maynard, and N. Ferraro, "A. MEMS-based Flexible Sensor and Actuator System for Space Inflatable Structures," Smart Materials Structure, Volume 10, pp.1230-1239 (2001).