Dr. Asima Shaukat joined the Department of Chemical Engineering at BITS Pilani - K. K. Birla Goa campus in May 2014 as an Assistant Professor. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from Aligarh Muslim University. Subsequently, she pursued PhD in Chemical Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. Her PhD research work was in the area of rheological dynamics of aging soft glassy materials. In 2011 she joined the Soft Matter Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, UK to work as a Marie Curie Experienced Researcher (post doctoral fellow). She studied the dynamics of entangled polymer solutions using a combination of rheological and dielectrical measurements.

Education Details

• Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, India

          Thesis Title: Dynamics of soft glassy materials under elongational flow field

          Supervisors: Dr. Yogesh M. Joshi and Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, Dept. of Chemical Engg., IIT Kanpur

• B.Tech., Chemical Engineering, Z. H. College of Engg. and Tech., Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India

Experience

• Marie Curie Experienced Researcher, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, UK (2011 -2013)

Research Interests

The current research interests of the faculty are in the area of rheology of complex fluids and polymer rheology. In particular, the flow dynamics exhibited by rheologically complex materials with significant industrial relevance, for instance, foodstuffs, polymers, polymer nanocomposites, cosmetic creams, lotions, pastes, oil drilling muds, waste slurries, asphalt, foams, cement, etc. Good knowledge regarding the flow behavior of these materials is absolutely essential at various stages of preparation, transport, processing as well as during application. These materials show interesting deformation behavior and often possess a combination of inherent properties like thixotropy, shear-thinning or thickening, yield stress behavior, flow hysteresis, etc. Unlike simple fluids, the behavior of these materials is largely dependent on the interactions between the constituent entities, the magnitude of the applied stress/strain field, and the age of the material. The main research interests of the faculty are in determining the influence of the size, morphology, and concentration of the constituent particles on the flow behavior, investigation of the underlying structures within the material formed as a result of interactions between these particles, finding alternatives for reducing/eliminating the problems faced during the processing of these materials and developing novel materials to suit desired applications.