scholarly journals Exfoliated WS2-Nafion Composite based Electromechanical Actuators

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Masoud S. Loeian ◽  
Dominika A. Ziolkowska ◽  
Farhad Khosravi ◽  
Jacek B. Jasinski ◽  
Balaji Panchapakesan

Abstract The ability to convert electrical energy into mechanical motion is of significant interest in many energy conversion technologies. Here, we demonstrate the first liquid phase exfoliated WS2-Nafion nanocomposite based electro-mechanical actuators. Highly exfoliated layers of WS2 mixed with Nafion solution, solution cast and doped with Li+ was studied as electromechanical actuators. Resonant Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photo-electron-spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, and AC impedance spectroscopy were used to study the structure, photoluminescence, water uptake, mechanical and electromechanical actuation properties of the exfoliated nanocomposites. A 114% increase in elastic modulus (dry condition), 160% increase in proton conductivity, 300% increase in water uptake, cyclic strain amplitudes of ~0.15% for 0.1 Hz excitation frequency, tip displacements greater than nanotube-Nafion and graphene-Nafion actuators and continuous operation for more than 5 hours is observed for TMD-Nafion actuators. The mechanism behind the increase in water uptake is a result of oxygen atoms occupying the vacancies in the hydrophilic exfoliated flakes and subsequently bonding with water, not possible in Nafion composites based on carbon nanotube and graphene.

2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
J R Khurma ◽  
D R Rohindra ◽  
R Devi

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) was blended with poly(viny1 butyral) (PVB) through solution casting method using chloroform as the common solvent. The films obtained were characterized for miscibility using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), tensile testing and FTIR spectroscopy. The DSC results showed that the glass-transition temperature (Tg) of the PLA and PVB remained more or less constant with the composition of the blend. The existence of two Tg?s in the blends indicated that PLA and PVB were immiscible over the composition range investigated. percentage crystallinity ( cc ), of PLA phase remained constant with increasing PVB content in the blend. FTIR measurements showed that there was no appreciable change in the spectra with respect to blend composition, implying the immiscibility of the two polymers. Mechanical analysis showed that the tensile strength and elongation decreased on blending.


2005 ◽  
Vol 127 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niels Grabow ◽  
Martin Schlun ◽  
Katrin Sternberg ◽  
Nico Hakansson ◽  
Sven Kramer ◽  
...  

Background: The development of endoluminal stents from polymeric materials requires an understanding of the basic mechanical properties of the polymer and the effects of manufacturing and sterilization on those properties. Methods: Pure poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) and PLLA containing varying amounts of triethylcitrate (TEC) as a plasticizer (5-10-15%) were studied. The specimens were solution-cast and CO2 laser-cut. Specimen dimensions were adapted to the strut size of polymeric vascular stents. The properties of the PLLA micro-specimens were assessed before and after sterilization (EtO cold gas, H2O2-plasma, beta- and gamma-irradiation). Tensile tests, and creep and recovery tests were carried out at 37°C. Additionally the thermal and thermo-mechanical characteristics were investigated using dynamic-mechanical analysis (DMA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Results: The results showed the dramatic influence of the plasticizer content and sterilization procedure on the mechanical properties of the material. Laser cutting had a lesser effect. Hence the effects of processing and sterilization must not be overlooked in the material selection and design phases of the development process leading to clinical use. Altogether, the results of these studies provide a clearer understanding of the complex interaction between the laser machining process and terminal sterilization on the primary mechanical properties of PLLA and PLLA plasticized with TEC.


2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (10) ◽  
pp. 2509-2513
Author(s):  
Km. Rachna ◽  
R.M. Mehra ◽  
Pramod K. Singh ◽  
N.B. Singh ◽  
Bhasker Pratap Choudhary ◽  
...  

Ionic polymer metal composites (IPMC) can be used as actuators and sensors and intrinsically have low activation voltage and large bending strain, which help to transform electrical energy to mechanical energy and can be utilized as bidirectional material. In this study, the ionic polymeric blend films/membranes of PVDF:PSSS:PVP in the blend ratio of 40:30:30; 50:30:20 and 60:15:25 (wt.%) is presented. The membranes were prepared by solution cast technique and coated with graphene oxide (GO)-polyaniline (PANI). Membranes were characterized by X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy. Electrical conductivities at different frequencies and water uptake properties were also determined. The actuating performance of PVDF:PSSS:PVP and water uptake of blend membrane was found to be maximum for the blend ratio of 60:15:25. PVDF:PSSS:PVP with blend ratio (60:15:25) also exhibited highest actuation at 10 V DC. Graphene oxide was prepared and characterized by using FTIR and Raman spectra. A brief account of the fabrication of IPMC and its actuation application was also presented.


Author(s):  
B. M. Culbertson ◽  
M. L. Devinev ◽  
E. C. Kao

The service performance of current dental composite materials, such as anterior and posterior restoratives and/or veneer cements, needs to be improved. As part of a comprehensive effort to find ways to improve such materials, we have launched a broad spectrum study of the physicochemical and mechanical properties of photopolymerizable or visible light cured (VLC) dental composites. The commercially available VLC materials being studied are shown in Table 1. A generic or neat resin VLC system is also being characterized by SEM and TEM, to more fully understand formulation variables and their effects on properties.At a recent dental research meeting, we reported on the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) characterization of the materials in Table 1. It was shown by DSC and DMA that the materials are substantially undercured by commonly used VLC techniques. Post curing in an oral cavity or a dry environment at 37 to 50°C for 7 or more hours substantially enhances the cure of the materials.


2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (8) ◽  
pp. 676-684
Author(s):  
Niping Dai ◽  
Junkun Tang ◽  
Manping Ma ◽  
Xiaotian Liu ◽  
Chuan Li ◽  
...  

AbstractStar-shaped arylacetylene resins, tris(3-ethynyl-phenylethynyl)methylsilane, tris(3-ethynyl-phenylethynyl) phenylsilane, and tris (3-ethynyl-phenylethynyl) silane (TEPHS), were synthesized through Grignard reaction between 1,3-diethynylbenzene and three types of trichlorinated silanes. The chemical structures and properties of the resins were characterized by means of nuclear magnetic resonance, fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Haake torque rheomoter, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, mechanical test, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results show that the melt viscosity at 120 °C is lower than 150 mPa⋅s, and the processing windows are as wide as 60 °C for the resins. The resins cure at the temperature as low as 150 °C. The good processabilities make the resins to be suitable for resin transfer molding. The cured resins exhibit high flexural modulus and excellent heat-resistance. The flexural modulus of the cured TEPHS at room temperature arrives at as high as 10.9 GPa. Its temperature of 5% weight loss (Td5) is up to 697 °C in nitrogen. The resins show the potential for application in fiber-reinforced composites as high-performance resin in the field of aviation and aerospace.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 1851
Author(s):  
Hye-Seon Park ◽  
Chang-Kook Hong

Poly (l-lactic acid) (PLLA) is a promising biomedical polymer material with a wide range of applications. The diverse enantiomeric forms of PLLA provide great opportunities for thermal and mechanical enhancement through stereocomplex formation. The addition of poly (d-lactic acid) (PDLA) as a nucleation agent and the formation of stereocomplex crystallization (SC) have been proven to be an effective method to improve the crystallization and mechanical properties of the PLLA. In this study, PLLA was blended with different amounts of PDLA through a melt blending process and their properties were calculated. The effect of the PDLA on the crystallization behavior, thermal, and mechanical properties of PLLA were investigated systematically by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), polarized optical microscopy (POM), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and tensile test. Based on our findings, SC formed easily when PDLA content was increased, and acts as nucleation sites. Both SC and homo crystals (HC) were observed in the PLLA/PDLA blends. As the content of PDLA increased, the degree of crystallization increased, and the mechanical strength also increased.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1426
Author(s):  
Tomáš Remiš ◽  
Petr Bělský ◽  
Tomáš Kovářík ◽  
Jaroslav Kadlec ◽  
Mina Ghafouri Azar ◽  
...  

In this work, advanced polymer nanocomposites comprising of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and nanodiamonds (NDs) were developed using a single-step solution-casting method. The properties of the prepared PVA/NDs nanocomposites were investigated using Raman spectroscopy, small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). It was revealed that the tensile strength improved dramatically with increasing ND content in the PVA matrix, suggesting a strong interaction between the NDs and the PVA. SEM, TEM, and SAXS showed that NDs were present in the form of agglomerates with an average size of ~60 nm with primary particles of diameter ~5 nm. These results showed that NDs could act as a good nanofiller for PVA in terms of improving its stability and mechanical properties.


Author(s):  
Kinga Tamási ◽  
Kálmán Marossy

AbstractThe paper deals with the study of seven selected natural plant oils. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and thermally stimulated discharge (TSD) methods were used. It has been found that most of the oils tested are in a glassy state at low temperature and have multiple transitions in the low temperature range. DSC shows complex melting-like processes or glass transition. For both DMA and TSD, the scaffold supportive method was used and found as a suitable one. DMA and TSD proved more sensitive than DSC and revealed at least two transitions between − 120 and − 40 °C. In the case of three oils (argan, avocado and sunflower), current reversal was observed by TSD; this symptom cannot be fully explained at the moment.


Crystals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 173
Author(s):  
Patrice Berthod ◽  
Lionel Aranda ◽  
Jean-Paul Gomis

Nickel is often added to cobalt-based superalloys to stabilize their austenitic structure. In this work the effects of Ni on several high temperature properties of a chromium-rich cobalt-based alloy reinforced by high fraction of TaC carbides are investigated. Different thermal analysis techniques are used: differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermo-mechanical analysis (TMA) and thermogravimetry (TG). Results show that the progressive addition of nickel did not induce great modifications of microstructure, refractoriness or thermal expansion. However, minor beneficial effects were noted, including reduction of the melting temperature range and slight decrease in thermal expansion coefficient. The most important improvement induced by Ni addition concerns the hot oxidation behavior. In this way, introducing several tens wt % Ni in this type of cobalt-based alloy may be recommended.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 878
Author(s):  
Krystyna Wnuczek ◽  
Andrzej Puszka ◽  
Łukasz Klapiszewski ◽  
Beata Podkościelna

This study presents the preparation and the thermo-mechanical characteristics of polymeric blends based on di(meth)acrylates monomers. Bisphenol A glycerolate diacrylate (BPA.GDA) or ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) were used as crosslinking monomers. Methyl methacrylate (MMA) was used as an active solvent in both copolymerization approaches. Commercial polycarbonate (PC) was used as a modifying soluble additive. The preparation of blends and method of polymerization by using UV initiator (Irqacure® 651) was proposed. Two parallel sets of MMA-based materials were obtained. The first included more harmless linear hydrocarbons (EGDMA + MMA), whereas the second included the usually used aromatic copolymers (BPA.GDA + MMA). The influence of different amounts of PC on the physicochemical properties was discussed in detail. Chemical structures of the copolymers were confirmed by attenuated total reflection–Fourier transform infrared (ATR/FT-IR) spectroscopy. Thermo-mechanical properties of the synthesized materials were investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric (TG/DTG) analyses, and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The hardness of the obtained materials was also tested. In order to evaluate the surface of the materials, their images were obtained with the use of atomic force microscopy (AFM).


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