Modeling soft materials

It helps us to understand how to make materials in a better and smarter way, which can facilitate better function as well as improved sustainability and economy.

Whether a material is a food, a packaging, a hygiene product, or a pharmaceutical tablet, it is crucial to understand the relationship between structure and function of the material. For porous materials in these and other applications, the mass transport properties i.e. the ability to transport fluids and gases, are central. Using different imaging techniques such as X-ray tomography and electron microscopy we can see the structure, and a detailed understanding requires advanced image analysis and statistical models. Insight into the structure of real materials guides statistical models for virtual materials that can be explored faster and cheaper than the real ones to learn how they can be optimized. Microscopy-based measurements of dynamic processes like diffusion is used to map transport performance of the materials, and analysis of experimental data takes advanced modeling and simulation. This work is done in close collaboration with experts in imaging and microscopy and materials science.

RISE' offer in modeling and simulation of foods, hygiene products and other porous materials and their microstructure includes:

• Characterization of materials structures using a broad set of imaging and microscopy techniques
• Quantitative image and data analysis, and long experience in interpretation of data
• Measurement of mass transport properties, mainly diffusion, in complex materials
• Development of statistical material models to understand relationships between structure and function