Profile

Dr. Zhenhai Xia

Dr. Zhenhai Xia

Title: Adjunct Faculty
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Office: ASEC 116
Phone: 330-972-2414
Fax: 330-972-6027
Email: zxia@uakron.edu
Website: http://coel.ecgf.uakron.edu/~zxia/

Biography

Zhenhai Xia received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Hefei University of Technology of China in 1984, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern Polytechnic University in 1987 and 1990, respectively. He served on the faculty of Hebei University of Technology between 1990 and 1997 as professor and department chair (95-98), Visiting Scientist/Humboldt Research Fellow at German Aerospace Center (DLR) between 1997 and 1999, and Senior Research Associate in solid mechanics at Brown University between 1999 and 2006. He is now an Associate Professor of mechanical engineering of the University of Akron.

Research Accomplishments

  • Ceramic, metal, and polymer matrix micro-/nano-composites
  • Multifunctional materials for sensing and damage detection
  • Materials for clean energy(fuel cells)
  • Bio-inspired and bio-mimetic materials
  • Characterization and biomechanics of biological materials(e.g. nerves)
  • Multiscale/multi-physics modeling and simulation

Publications

  1. Z.H. Xia and W.A. Curtin, Book Chapter: “Multiscale modeling and simulation of composite materials and structures”, Eds. Y. Kown, D. Allen and R.Talreja. (2008) Springer.
  2. Z. H. Xia, Book chapter: “A New Handbook for Mechanical Engineers”, Eds.,R. L.Chen, and T. L. Lu, Beijing. Chinese Light-Industry Press, 995pp (1994).
  1. Hu, Shihao; Jiang, Haodan; Xia, Zhenhai; Gao, Xiaosheng, Friction and Adhesion of Hierarchical Carbon Nanotube Structures for Biomimetic Dry Adhesives: Multiscale Modeling, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2010.
  2. K.P. Gong, Feng Du, Z.H. Xia, M. Durstock and L.M. Dai, “Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanotube Arrays with High Electrocatalytic Activity for Oxygen Reduction”, Science, 323, 760-764(2009).
  3. E.M. Byrne, M.A. McCarthy, Z. H. Xia, and W. A. Curtin, “Multi-Wall Nanotubes can be Stronger than Single-Wall Nanotubes and Implications for Nanocomposite Design”, Physical Review Letters, 103, No. 045502, (2009).
  4. Hui Ouyang, Z.H. Xia and Jiang Zhe, “Static and Dynamic Responses of Polyelectrolyte Brushes under External Electric Field”, Nanotechnology, 20 (2009) 195703 (7pp).
  5. X.F. Wei, Z.H. Xia, S.C. Wong and A. Baji, “Modeling of mechanical properties of electrospun nanofiber network”, International Journal of Experimental and Computational Biomechanics, 1, 49-57(2009).
  6. L.T. Qu, L.M. Dai, M. Stone, Z.H. Xia, and Z.L. Wang, “Carbon Nanotube Arrays with Strong Shear Binding-On and Easy Normal Lifting-Off”. Science, 322 238-242(2008).
  7. Z. H. Xia, L. Riester, W. A. Curtin, H. Li, B. W. Sheldon, J. Liang, B. Chang and J. Xu, “Direct observation of toughening mechanisms in carbon-nanotube ceramic matrix composites”, Acta Materialia, 52, 931-944 (2004).

Education

Ph.D., Northwestern Polytechnic University (1990); M.S., Northwestern Polytechnic University (1987); B.S., Hefei Polytechnic University (1984)

Courses

Undergraduate

  • 4600:260 Engineering Analysis I
  • 4600:366 Analysis of Mechanical Components

Graduate

  • 4300:609 Finite Element Analysis I
  • 4600:696 Multiscale and Multiphysics Modeling