Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
7889659 | Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing | 2018 | 13 Pages |
Abstract
Composite materials are inseparable from today's life, yet many schoolchildren (and adults) are not familiar with them. In the framework of InnovationLab, an initiative of KU Leuven, a new Science-Technology-Engineering-and-Mathematics (STEM) project was launched, intended to introduce composite materials to schoolchildren. A toolbox was developed which enables teachers to perform composite-related experiments together with their pupils, actualising the pupils' knowledge in chemistry, physics and mathematics. The students learn about polymer matrices and fibres, produce a composite themselves, investigate its mechanical properties and finally test a composite catapult. This way the scientific awareness of the students is raised and they gain insight into today's challenges in composite materials and how engineers respond to them.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Materials Science
Ceramics and Composites
Authors
Delphine Depuydt, Kevin Hendrickx, Mahoor Mehdikhani, Nikolay A. Petrov, Stepan V. Lomov, David Seveno,