The research is to study the application of fractal geometry to characterize crack patterns formed on the fracture surfaces of cross-linked thermoset polymers. Fracture experiments will be performed on a series of well characterized resins (ranging from rubbery to brittle) and on non-Newtonian fluids of varying viscosity. Numerical methods will then be developed for analyzing pattern formation in these systems to better understand the physical and chemical processes which contribute to the fracture behavior. The fractal dimensions and other scaling exponents characterizing the geometrical and topological features of the tree-like cracks will be analyzed to determine whether there is a relationship between these exponents and the material properties.
