Prof. Ken E. Evans

Prof. Ken E. Evans is Professor of Materials Engineering and is currently the Head of the School of Engineering, Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Exeter, UK. He is also Director of Exeter Advanced Technologies.

Research Interests

His research interests are in materials. He is interested in the theoretical and experimental investigation of novel materials; their processing, fabrication, structure and properties; and finally in their engineering and industrial applications. The majority of this work has been on polymers and polymer composites and, most recently, biomaterials.

In particular he has been involved with the study and development of auxetic materials. These new materials exhibit a negative Poisson's ration (i.e. they expand laterally when stretched). This unusual property has a fundamental influence on the mechanical properties of these materials, with many possible applications.

Recent Publications

Alderson, A. & Evans, K. E. 1997. Modelling concurrent deformation mechanisms is auxetic microporous polymers. J. Materials Science., 32, 2797-2809.
Chan, N. & Evans, K. E. 1997. Fabrication methods for auxetic foams. 1997. J. Materials Science, 32, 5725-5736.
Alderson, K. L., Alderson, A. & Evans, K. E. 1997. The interpretation of the strain-dependent Poisson's ratio in auxetic polyethylene. J. Strain Analysis, 32, 201-212.
Alderson, K. L., Webber, R. S., Mohammed, U. F., Murphy, E. & Evans, K. E. 1997. An experimental study of ultrasonic attenuation in microporous polyethylene. Applied Acoustics, 50, 23-33.
Chan, N. & Evans, K. E. 1998. Indentation resilience of conventional and auxetic foams. J. Cell. Plast., 34, 231-260.
Roach, A. M., Evans, K. E. & Jones, N. 1998. The penetration energy of sandwich panel elements under static and dynamic loading. Part 1. Compos. Struct., 42, 119-134.
K L Alderson, A Alderson, R S Webber and K E Evans 'Evidence of uniaxial drawing in the fibrillated microstructure of auxetic microporous polymers', J.Mat.Sci.Lett., 17 1998: 1415-19.
Savic, D. A., Evans, K. E. & Silberhorn, N. 1999. A genetic algorithm based system for the optimal design of laminates. Comp.-Aided Civiland Infrastructure Eng., 14, 187-197.
Chan, N. & Evans, K. E. 1999. The mechanical properties of conventional and auxetic foams. Part 1: Compression and tension. J. Cell. Plastics., 35, 130-165.
Chan, N. & Evans, K. E., The mechanical properties of conventional and auxetic foams. Part 2: Shear, Journal Cellular Plastics, 35 1999: 166-183.
Smith C. W., Evans K. E. & Lehman F. 1999. Strain densification during indentation in auxetic foams. Cellular Polymers, 18(2), 79-101.
Smith C. W., Wootton, R. J. and Evans. K. E. 1999. Interpretation of experimental data for poissons ratio of highly non-linear materials. Experimental Mechanics, 39(4), 356-362
C W Smith, R J Wooton and K E Evans, 'Interpretation of experimental data for Poisson's ratio of highly non-linear materials', Experimental Mechanics, 39 (4)1999: 356-362.
C W Smith, R J Wooton and K E Evans, 'Strain dependent densification during indentation in auxetic foams', Cellular Polymer, 18 1999: 79-101.
R S Webber, K L Alderson and K E Evans, 'Novel Variations in the Microstructure of Auxetic Microporous Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene. Part 1: Processing and Microstructure', Poly. Eng. Sci. 14, 2000: 1894 - 1905.
K L Alderson, R S Webber and K E Evans, 'Novel Variations in the Microstructure of Auxetic Microporous Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene. Part 2: Mechanical Properties', Poly. Eng. Sci., 14, 2000: 1906 - 1914.
K E Evans and A Alderson, 'Auxetic Materials: Functional Materials and Structures from Lateral Thinking', Adv. Mat, 12, 2000: 617 - 624
'Auxetic Materials - The Positive Side of Being Negative', Eng. Sci. and Educ. J, 9, 2000: 148 - 154.
J N Grima and K E Evans, 'Self-Expanding Molecular Networks', Chem. Comm. 2000: 1531 - 1532.
J N Grima and K E Evans, 'Rotating Squares with Negative Poisson's Ratios', J.Mat. Sci. Lett., 19, 2000: 1563 - 1565.
C W Smith, J N Grima, K E Evans, 'A Novel Mechanism for Generating Auxetic Behaviour in Reticulated Foams: Missing Rib Model', Acta Mater 48, 2000: 4349 - 4356.
R J Wooton, K E Evans, R C Herbert, C W Smith, 'The Hind Wing of the Desert Locust ( Schistocerca Gregaria Forskal). I. Functional Morphology and Mode of Operation', J. Exp. Biol., 203, 2000: 2921 - 2931.
C W Smith R J Wootton, R C Herbert and K E Evans, 'The hind wing of the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria Forskål). II. Mechanical properties and functioning of the membrane.' Journal of Experimental Biology, . 203, 2000: 2933-2943.
R C Herbert, P G Young, C W Smith, R J Wootton and K E Evans, 'The hind wing of the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria Forskål). III. A finite element analysis of a deployable structure', The Journal of Experimental Biology 203, 2000: 2945-2955.
A Alderson, J Rasburn , S Ameer-Beg, P G Mullarkey, W Perrie and K E Evans, 'A Tuneable Filter Displaying Enhanced Size Selectivity or Defouling Properties', Ind. Eng. Chem. Res 39, 2000: 654-665.
K L Alderson, A Fitzgerald, K E Evans, 'The Strain Dependent Indentation Resilience of Auxetic Microporous Polyethylene', J. Mat. Sci., 35, 2000: 4039-4047.
J N Grima, A Alderson, K E Evans, 'Do Zeolites Have Negative Poisson's Ratios?', Adv. Mat., 12, 2000: 1912 - 1918.

Contact Details:

Prof. Ken E. Evans - Head of School
School of Engineering, Computer Science and Mathematics,
University of Exeter,
Exeter EX4 8QF, UK

e-mail: K.E.Evans@ex.ac.uk
Tel:+44 (0)1392 263648
Fax:+44 (0)1392 217965