Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Education

Texas A&M University, PhD 1999
University of California at Berkeley, MS 1992
Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, BTech 1990

Current Research Interests

Continuum mechanics and constitutive modeling. Mechanics of fluids and solids. Modeling of non-linear phenomenon observed in mechanics with an emphasis on applications in biomechanics, manufacturing processes and polymers. The specific problems currently under investigation are:

• The formulation of constitutive equations for crystallizing polymeric systems undergoing deformation and cooling. The constitutive equations formulated are used to simulate a variety of polymeric processes like film blowing, fiber spinning etc. Recent work funded by the National Science Foundation focuses on the constitutive modeling and simulation of crystallizable shape memory polymers.  
• Modeling of growth in biological tissues. The main thrust of this work is on developing mathematical models that can describe the process of growth and remodeling of biological tissues in response to different stimuli.  
• Modeling the inelastic behavior of single crystal Nickel based superalloys at elevated temperatures. Our work focuses on the modeling and simulation of the temperature dependent anisotropic creep response of single crystal superalloys. This work is funded by the Department of Energy.

Selected Publications

I. J. Rao and K. R. Rajagopal, “Simulation of the Film Blowing Process for Semi-Crystalline Polymers,” Mechanics of Advanced Materials and Structures, in press 2004.

I. J. Rao and K. R. Rajagopal, “On the Modeling of Quiescent Crystallization of Polymer Melts,” Polymer Engineering and Science, 44(1), 123-130, 2004.

I. J. Rao, “Effect of the Rate of Deformation on the Crystallization Behavior of Polymers,” International Journal of Non-Linear Mechanics, 38(5), 663-676, 2003, peer reviewed.

I. J. Rao, J. D. Humphrey and K. R. Rajagopal, “A constrained mixture model for soft tissue growth and remodeling: Application to tendons.” Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, 4(3-4), 439-456, 2003.

K. Kannan, I.J. Rao and K. R. Rajagopal, “A Thermomechanical Framework for the Glass Transition Phenomenon in Certain Polymers and its Application to Fiber Spinning,” Journal of Rheology, 46(4), 977-999, 2002.

I. J. Rao and K. R. Rajagopal, "A Thermodynamic Framework to Study Crystallization in Polymers" ZAMP, 53(3), 365-406, 2002.

I. J. Rao and K. R. Rajagopal, “A Study of Strain Induced Crystallization in Polymers,” International Journal of Solids and Structures, 38, (6-7), 1149-1167, 2001.  

I. J. Rao and K. R. Rajagopal, “A Phenomenological Model for Crystallization in Polymers Based on the Notion of Multiple Natural Configurations,” Interfaces and Free Boundaries, 2, 73-94, 2000.

I. J. Rao “Flow of a Johnson-Segalman Fluid Between Rotating Co-Axial Cylinders with and without Suction,” International Journal of Non-Linear Mechanics, 34, 63-70, 1999.

I. J. Rao and K. R. Rajagopal, “The Effect of the Slip Boundary Condition on the Flow of Fluids in a Channel,” Acta Mechanica, 135, 113-126, 1999.

I. J. Rao and K. R. Rajagopal, “Some Simple Flows of a Johnson-Segalman Fluid,” Acta Mechanica 132, 209-219, 1999.  

P. F. Peterson and I. J. Rao, “Stability of Condensation on Horizontal Surfaces with Noncondensables Present,” ASME Journal of Heat Transfer, 117, 1003-1010, 1995.

I. J. Rao , “Modeling of Shape Memory Polymers,” in the proceedings of SPE-ANTEC, Sanfrancisco, CA, Vol-2, pp 1785-1789, 2002.  

 I. J. Rao and K. R. Rajagopal, “A continuum model for flow induced crystallization in polymers,” in the proceedings of SPE-ANTEC, Dallas, 2001.

 J. D. Humphrey, I. J. Rao and K. R. Rajagopal, “A Mixture model for growth and remodeling in soft tissues,” Proceedings of the 2001 ASME Bioengineering Conference, Ed. R. D. Kamm, G. W. Scmid-Schonbein, G. A. Atshian, M. S. Hefzy, BED-Vol. 50. pp-645-656. ASME, New York, 2001.

 I. J. Rao, "Simulation of the Film Blowing Process Using a Continuum Model for Crystallization in Polymers," in Recent Advances in the Mechanics of Structured Continua, AMD-Vol.244, ASMES, New York, pp. 57-74, 2000.

Professional Activities

Member: American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Society of Engineering Science, Society of Plastics Engineers, American Society of Engineering Education, Pi Tau Sigma

Member, Board of Directors, Polymer Analysis Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers.

Member, AMD-MD Joint Committee on Constitutive Equations, American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Member, NSF panel to review proposals in mechanics of materials, 2001.