Research

1.       Plasma Surface Treatment of CF-PEKK Composites (Boeing-funded, Non-thesis Research)

I led a collaborative project with Boeing to compare chemical, flame, and plasma surface treatments for improving paint adhesion on carbon fiber–reinforced PEKK thermoplastic composites. Atmospheric pressure plasma treatment was found to significantly enhance surface polarity, reduce surface crystallinity, and enable superior paint adhesion (ASTM D3359) while preserving bulk mechanical properties. Surface chemistry was characterized using XPS and FTIR, and wettability via contact angle goniometry. I automated the treatment process using a gantry-controlled plasma jet and developed a Bayesian optimization framework for process tuning. This solution reached TRL-8 and is ready for industrial deployment in aircraft coating applications at Boeing Auburn, WA factory and has also recently won the Boeing Advanced Research Collaboration Award. This is work is published recently at Applied Surface Science [1]

2.       Ultrasonic Welding of Vitrimer Composites (Ph.D. Thesis – Part 1)

In my thesis work, I investigated the use of ultrasonic welding to join vitrimer-based fiber composites. Ultrasonic vibration activated the transesterification bond exchange in the vitrimer matrix, enabling fast, repeatable welding with shear strengths up to ~17.6 MPa—comparable to oven-cured joints but achieved with over 25,000× less energy. This work, published in Composites Science and Technology [2], established a new joining pathway for vitrimer composites that is energy-efficient, scalable, and suitable for disassembly and reuse.

3.     Compression-After-Impact (CAI) Recovery Using RF Heating (Ph.D. Thesis – Part 2)

I developed a vitrimer matrix tailored for healing low-velocity impact damage via heat press healing. Inspired by the reprocessabilty of the vitrimer work, I designed composite laminates that recover ~80% of their original compressive strength post-impact after a short thermal activation cycle. Preliminary results from ASTM D7137 tests are promising and supported by DIC imaging and X-ray computed tomography. This approach could provide an embedded repair mechanism for structural composites, reducing downtime and material waste in high-value applications. This is an ongoing work and the manuscript is under preparation.

 Apart from the above mentioned I have been co-authors on some interesting research works like vitrimer based PCBs with Microsoft Research [3], Radio-frequency based material interactions for curing and synthesis [4,5,6]

References:

1.       Nandi, A., Biswal, A.K., Nguyen, A., Nordyke, L., Behling, E., Foulds, T., Schultz, K. and Vashisth, A., 2024. Comparative study of surface preparation for paint adhesion on CF-PEKK composites: Plasma, Chemical, and Flame treatment. Applied Surface Science, 669, p.160533.

2.       Biswal, A.K., Nandi, A., Wang, H. and Vashisth, A., 2023. Ultrasonic welding of fiber reinforced vitrimer composites. Composites Science and Technology, 242, p.110202.

3.       Zhang, Z., Biswal, A.K., Nandi, A., Frost, K., Smith, J.A., Nguyen, B.H., Patel, S., Vashisth, A. and Iyer, V., 2024. Recyclable vitrimer-based printed circuit boards for sustainable electronics. Nature Sustainability, 7(5), pp.616-627.

4.       Sarmah, A., Morales, M.A., Srivastava, A., Upama, S., Nandi, A., Henry, T.C., Green, M.J. and Vashisth, A., 2023. Interfacial carbon fiber–matrix interactions in thermosetting composites volumetrically cured by electromagnetic fields. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 164, p.107276.

5.       Enriquez, I., Noronha, C., Teo, K., Sarmah, A., Gupta, S., Nandi, A., Fishbeck, B., Green, M.J. and Vashisth, A., 2023. Closed-loop composite welding and bonding system using radio-frequency heating and pressure. Journal of Composites Science, 7(3), p.116.

6.       Bhaskar, L.K., Rapp, J., Nandi, A., Biswal, A.K., Uddin, K.Z., Koohbor, B., Kumar, R. and Vashisth, A., 2023. Out-of-oven rapid synthesis of entropy stabilized oxides using radio frequency heating. Journal of Materials Research and Technology, 24, pp.1150-1161.

• Body-in-white structures design for occupant safety from biomechnaics point of view

• 1D simulation at concept phase for BIW joineries for meeting fist time right lightweighting target

• Design buckling members/brackets for B-pillar to mitigate energy due side crash

• Steering phasing analysis to mitigate vibration and meet standards for steering returnability

• Suspension damper tuning using ADAMS and Road Load Data Acquisition

• Virtual Wheel Force transducer data analysis for ride quality evaluation and loads generation for durability analysis

• Kinematics and Compliance analysis using ADAMS

• Functional Mockup Interface using ADAMS and EASY.5 (developed by Boeing) for Torque Vectoring controls simulations of a inwheel motor based BEV

Research media: