Please consider attending the following: MATERIALS ENGINEERING SEMINAR "Material Effects on the Performance of Athletic Cleated Shoe Stubs" By Amelia G. X. Leenig Purdue MSE Preliminary Exam Advisor: Professor Weinong Chen ABSTRACT Athletic cleated shoes are used in a wide variety of sports such as soccer, ultimate frisbee, lacrosse, football, baseball, etc. Most of the injuries in these sports occur without multiple player contact. Instead, translational and rotational friction interactions between shoe soles, feet, and playing surfaces can cause injuries to athletes. Cleat stub components play a large role in determining traction and friction characteristics of athletic cleated shoes. Therefore, it is important to understand how cleat stubs affect athletes' performance and how the material and physical properties change with increased use and aging. Cleat stubs are generally made of a polyether based thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU). Degradation of TPU material properties occurs when exposed to UV-rays or elevated air temperatures for extended time periods. Surface characteristics are primarily affected when a TPU is experiencing fatigue or creep while aged in an oxidative solution. Determination of cleat stub performance can be characterized by the cyclic loading hysteresis loop response of TPUs. Cyclic loading behavior of TPUs indicates that the loading behavior is dependent on the strain rate induced on the material. Studies analyzed in this review provide some insight to how cleat stub materials will perform with increased use and environmental aging. Date: Friday, December 20, 2019 Time: 9:00 A.M. Place: ARMS 1103