Group Interaction Modelling of Polymer Properties - Welcome!
Group Interaction Modelling (GIM) is a technique for predicting the thermomechanical and engineering properties of polymers from fundamental parameters and chemical structure. It uses a contribution based mean field approach to estimate the interactions between neighbouring polymers and scales these up into bulk properties of interest to all polymer scientists.
This website provides a central resource for all matters relating to Group Interaction Modelling. In particular, GIMprops is a free demonstration program that shows the power of GIM by allowing you to predict a wide variety of properties of a typical amine cured epoxy resin blend. The software is very simple to use. All you have to do is decide the relative ratio of each epoxy (MY721/TGDDM and MY0510/TGAP) and a few other inputs. Then select a temperature range and strain rates over which you wish to predict properties and set it running.
News - Updated 21st April 2010
2010
» 1st April 2010. Version 1.2.2 of GIMprops available
The latest public demonstration version of GIMprops is now available free to download from this website. This version is probably the last iteration of the current incarnation of GIMprops. We are currently securing funding for a more commercial version of GIMprops which will predict the properties of a wider range of polymers, allow batch mode calculations and use a web interface. Please report any bugs or suggestions to info@gimprops.com. Thanks!
2009
» 1st October 2009. Presentation at Thermosets 2009, Berlin, Germany
Joel Foreman gave a presentation at Thermosets 2009 in Berlin titled 'Predicting the Thermomechanical and Engineering Properties of Cured Epoxy Resin Blends using Group Interaction Modelling'.
» 27th-31st July 2009. Presentations at ICCM17, Edinburgh
Joel Foreman gave a presentation at the 17th International Conference on Composite Materials in Edinburgh titled 'Rate Dependent Multiscale Modelling of a Fibre-Reinforced Composite'. Frank Jones gave the Scala Lecture called 'From Atoms to Aeroplanes: Towards Multi-Scale Modelling & Design of Composites'
» 29th May 2009. Version 1.0 of GIMprops and FFC available
The first public versions of GIMprops and FFC are now available. GIMprops can be downloaded and installed on your PC, and FFC can be run directly from this website. Please report any bugs or suggestions to info@gimprops.com. Thanks!
» 6th May 2009. Engineering Materials Departmental Seminar
David Porter gave a departmental seminar at the Department of Engineering Materials, University of Sheffield titled 'From Spider Silks to High Temperature Ceramics: A Pragmatic Approach to Predicting the Structural Properties of Materials'. David's presentation showed the wide applicability of GIM.
» 15th-17th April 2009. Presentations at DFC10, Sheffield
The 10th Deformation and Fracture of Composites conference was held at the Kroto Research Institute, University of Sheffield, April 15th-17th 2009. Frank Jones gave a plenary lecture called 'Defining Interfaces and Interphases' and Joel Foreman give a presentation called 'Hierarchical Modelling of Composite Strength as a Function of Strain Rate'. Much of the work presented can be reproduced using software available on this website.
» 1st April 2009. Presentation at Composites 2009, London
Joel Foreman gave a presentation at Composites 2009 at Imperial College, London. The paper was called 'Modelling the Yield Properties of a Trifunctional Epoxy Resin Based Composite' and showed how to predict matrix yield properties from chemical structure using GIM. Also, the strength of a fibre reinforced composite system was predicted using a statistical model of fibre failure. Much of the work presented in the paper can be reproduced using software available on this website.
