Welcome to the Alvarez Research Group

The nonlinear rheology of three selected commercial low-density polyethylenes (LDPE) is measured in uniaxial extensional flow. The measurements are performed using three different devices including an extensional viscosity fixture (EVF),

We present start-up of uniaxial extension followed by stress relaxation experiments of a bi-disperse 50 % by weight blend of 95k and 545k molecular weight polystyrene. We also show, for

Hydrogels formed by polypeptides could be much-favored tools for drug delivery because their main ingredients are generally biodegradable. However, the gelation of peptides in aqueous solution generally requires a minimal

This collaborative effort examines the relationship between processing conditions and material performance in high impact (high strain rate) applications. We have developed a novel gel spinning apparatus that controls key

The time–temperature superposition principle (TTSP) is a promising tool for filling the time-scale gap between molecular dynamics simulation and experiments in polymer systems. Here we propose a molecular dynamics approach

This work revisits several open questions regarding the mechanisms of GAG fibril formation and structure as a function of temperature.

Abstract HypothesisRecently, we reported a three-dimensional phase diagram for the gelation of cationic tripeptide glycylalanylglycine (GAG) in water–ethanol mixtures. We showed that the gel strength reaches an optimum for a

Abstract HypothesisThe cationic tripeptide glycylalanylglycine (GAG) self-assembles into long, thick crystalline fibrils in an ethanol/water solution. At sufficiently high concentrations, the fibrils form a volume spanning hydrogel network. We report

Abstract A well-defined resin system is needed to serve as a benchmark for 3D printing of high-performance composites. This work describes the design and characterization of such a system that

Abstract High performance ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers are primarily composed of extended chain (shish) and lamellae (kebab) crystalline domains. Characterization of these architectures commonly utilizes x-ray scattering