Assistant Professor
Mechanical and Materials
Engineering
W332 Nebraska HallLincoln, NE 68588
(402) 472-3994
lucia.fernandez@unl.edu
Education
- Ph.D., California Institute of Technology
- M.S., California Institute of Technology
- B.S., University of Alicante
Research Interests
- Conjugated polymers
- 3D printing
- Nucleation control in polymers
- Processing and flow-induced crystallization of polymers
- Hierarchical structures and self-assembly
- Biopolymers
Selected Publications
- L.R. Zheng, L. Fernandez-Ballester, G.W.M. Peters, Z. Ma, “Concomitant Crystallization in Propylene/Ethylene Random Copolymer with Strong Flow at Elevated Temperatures”, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 57, 6870-6877 (2018). https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.iecr.8b00708
- B. Schammé, E. Dargent, and L. Fernandez-Ballester, “Effect of Random Ethylene Comonomer on Relaxation of Flow-Induced Precursors in Isotactic Polypropylene,” Macromolecules 50, 6396−6403 (2017). http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.7b01228
- X. Monnier, L. Chevalier, A. Esposito, L. Fernandez-Ballester, A. Saiter, E. Dargent, “Local and segmental motions of the mobile amorphous fraction in semi-crystalline polylactide crystallized under quiescent and flow-induced conditions,” Polymer 126, 141-151 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2017.08.021
- L. Balzano, Z. Ma, D. Cavallo, T.B. van Erp, L. Fernandez-Ballester, and G.W.M. Peters, “Molecular Aspects of the Formation of Shish-Kebab in Isotactic Polypropylene,” Macromolecules 49, 3799-3809 (2016). http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.6b00428
- Z. Ma, L Fernandez-Ballester, D. Cavallo, T. Gough, G.W.M. Peters, “High-stress shear induced crystallization in isotactic polypropylene and propylene/ethylene random copolymers,” Macromolecules 46, 2671-2680 (2013). http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ma302518c
- L. Fernandez-Ballester, D.W. Thurman, W. Zhou, J.A. Kornfield, “The effect of long chains on the threshold stresses for flow-induced crystallization in iPP: Shish-kebabs vs. sausages,” Macromolecules 45, 6557-6570 (2012). http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ma3000384
- H. Wang, J. Cuppens, E. Biermans, S. Bals, L. Fernandez-Ballester, K.O. Kvashnina, W. Bras, M.J. Van bael, K. Temst, A. Vantomme, “Tuning of the size and the lattice parameter of ion-beam synthesized Pb nanoparticles embedded in Si,” Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 45, 035301 (2012). http://iopscience.iop.org/0022-3727/45/3/035301/
- A. Dhotel, H. Li, L. Fernandez-Ballester, L. Delbreilh, B. Youssef, X.C. Zeng, L. Tan, “Supramolecular Nanolayer Reconfiguration after Molecular Intercalation,” The Journal of Physical Chemistry 115, 10351-10356 (2011). http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jp112025p
- L. Balzano, D. Cavallo, T. Erp, Z. Ma, J.W. Housmans, L. Fernandez-Ballester, G.W. Peters, “Dynamics of fibrillar precursors of shish blocks as a function of stress,” IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering 14, 012005 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/14/1/012005
- L. Fernandez-Ballester, D.W. Thurman, and J.A. Kornfield, “Real-time depth sectioning method: isolating the effect of stress on structure development in pressure-driven flow,” Journal of Rheology 53, 1229-1224 (2009). http://dx.doi.org/10.1122/1.3164970
- R.K. Krishnaswamy, Q. Yang, L. Fernandez-Ballester, and J.A. Kornfield, “Effect of the distribution of short-chain branches on crystallization kinetics and mechanical properties of high-density polyethylene,” Macromolecules 41, 1693-1704 (2008). http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ma070454h
- L. Fernandez-Ballester, T. Gough, F. Meneau, W. Bras, F. Ania, F.J. Balta-Calleja, and J.A. Kornfield, “Simultaneous birefringence, small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering to detect precursors and characterize morphology development during flow-induced crystallization of polymers,” Journal of Synchrotron Radiation 15, 185-190 (2008). http://dx.doi.org/10.1107/S0909049508002598
- Sevegney, M.S., G. Parthasarthy, R.M. Kannan, D.W. Thurman, and L. Fernandez-Ballester, “Deformation-induced morphology changes and orientation behavior in syndiotactic polypropylene,” Macromolecules 36, 6472-6483 (2003). http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ma025774