I have successfully modeled the thixotropic rheology of highly concentrated colloidal gels and their flow behavior for the direct ink writing process. I also used a numerical method to capture the dynamic shape evolution of the structures fabricated by direct ink writing. I have applied the direct ink writing technique to investigations of energetic materials. I also lead the highly compressible graphene aerogels microlattices fabrication effort for micro-supercapacitors. Additionally, I contributed to the fabrication of elastomeric, cellular architectures with negative stiffness. Currently, I am working on projects involving the direct writing of nanofiber encapsulated epoxy, 3D batteries, and carbon capture hollow fibers.

Research Interests

Materials science, direct-write manufacturing, colloidal processing of materials, rheology of complex fluids

Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Oklahoma State University, 2010

M.S., Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 2006

B.S., Bioengineering, Wuxi University of Light Industry, 2003

Cheng Zhu, Thomas Han, Eric Duoss, Alexandra Golobic, Joshua Kuntz, Christopher Spadaccini, and Marcus Worsley, “Highly Compressible 3D Periodic Graphene Aerogel Microlattices,” Nature Communications 6, 2015.

Eric Duoss, Todd Weisgraber, Keith Hearon, Cheng Zhu, Ward Small IV, Thomas R. Metz, John Vericella, Holly Barth, Joshua Kuntz, Robert Maxwell, Christopher Spadaccini, and Thomas Wilson, "Three-Dimensional Printing of Elastomeric, Cellular Architectures with Negative Stiffness," Advanced Functional Materials 24(31), 2014.

Duoss, Eric, Cheng Zhu, Kyle Sullivan, John Vericella, Jonathan Hopkins, Rayne Zheng, Andrew Pascall, et al., "Additive Micro-Manufacturing of Designer Materials," in Materials Challenges and Testing for Manufacturing, Mobility, Biomedical Applications and Climate, Springer International Publishing, pp. 13–24, 2014.

Kyle Sullivan, Cheng Zhu, Douglass Tanaka, Joshua Kuntz, Eric Duoss, and Alex Gash, "Electrophoretic Deposition of Thermites onto Micro-Engineered Electrodes Prepared by Direct-Ink Writing," The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 117, 1686, 2013.

Cheng Zhu and James Smay, "Catenary shape evolution of spanning structures in direct-write assembly of colloidal gels," Journal of Material Processing Technology 212, 727, 2012.

Cheng Zhu and James Smay, "Thixotropic Rheology of Alumina Colloidal Gels for Solid Freeform Fabrication," Journal of Rheology 55, 655, 2011.