scholarly journals The Influence of Sonication Processing Conditions on Electrical and Mechanical Properties of Single and Hybrid Epoxy Nanocomposites Filled with Carbon Nanoparticles

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 4128
Author(s):  
Matheus Mendes de Oliveira ◽  
Sven Forsberg ◽  
Linnéa Selegård ◽  
Danilo Justino Carastan

Graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) are used to enhance electrical and mechanical properties of epoxy-based nanocomposites. Despite the evidence of synergetic effects in the hybrid GNP-CNT-epoxy system, there is still a lack of studies that focus on the influence of different dispersion methods on the final properties of these ternary systems. In the present work, direct and indirect ultrasonication methods were used to prepare single- and hybrid-filled GNP-CNT-epoxy nanocomposites, varying the amplitude and time of sonication in order to investigate their effect on electrical and thermomechanical properties. Impedance spectroscopy was combined with rheology and electron microscopy to show that high-power direct sonication tends to degrade electrical conductivity in GNP-CNT-epoxy nanocomposites due to damage caused in the nanoparticles. CNT-filled samples were mostly benefitted by low-power direct sonication, achieving an electrical conductivity of 1.3 × 10−3 S·m−1 at 0.25 wt.% loading, while indirect sonication was not able to properly disperse the CNTs and led to a conductivity of 1.6 ± 1.3 × 10−5. Conversely, specimens filled with 2.5 wt. % of GNP and processed by indirect sonication displayed an electrical conductivity that is up to 4 orders of magnitude higher than when processed by direct sonication, achieving 5.6 × 10−7 S·m−1. The introduction of GNP flakes improved the dispersion state and conductivity in hybrid specimens processed by indirect sonication, but at the same time impaired these properties for high-power direct sonication. It is argued that this contradictory effect is caused by a selective localization of shorter CNTs onto GNPs due to strong π-π interactions when direct sonication is used. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed that the addition of nanofillers improved epoxy’s storage modulus by up to 84%, but this property is mostly insensitive to the different processing parameters. Decrease in crosslinking degree and presence of residual solvent confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, however, diminished the glass transition temperature of the nanocomposites by up to 40% when compared to the neat resin due to plasticization effects.

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 3140
Author(s):  
Kamil Dydek ◽  
Anna Boczkowska ◽  
Rafał Kozera ◽  
Paweł Durałek ◽  
Łukasz Sarniak ◽  
...  

The main aim of this work was the investigation of the possibility of replacing the heavy metallic meshes applied onto the composite structure in airplanes for lightning strike protection with a thin film of Tuball single-wall carbon nanotubes in the form of ultra-light, conductive paper. The Tuball paper studied contained 75 wt% or 90 wt% of carbon nanotubes and was applied on the top of carbon fibre reinforced polymer before fabrication of flat panels. First, the electrical conductivity, impact resistance and thermo-mechanical properties of modified laminates were measured and compared with the reference values. Then, flat panels with selected Tuball paper, expanded copper foil and reference panels were fabricated for lightning strike tests. The effectiveness of lightning strike protection was evaluated by using the ultrasonic phased-array technique. It was found that the introduction of Tuball paper on the laminates surface improved both the surface and the volume electrical conductivity by 8800% and 300%, respectively. The impact resistance was tested in two directions, perpendicular and parallel to the carbon fibres, and the values increased by 9.8% and 44%, respectively. The dynamic thermo-mechanical analysis showed higher stiffness and a slight increase in glass transition temperature of the modified laminates. Ultrasonic investigation after lightning strike tests showed that the effectiveness of Tuball paper is comparable to expanded copper foil.


2012 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
pp. 521-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeevan Prasad Reddy ◽  
Manjusri Misra ◽  
Amar Mohanty

In this research, switchgrass (SG) fiber-reinforced poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) biocomposites were prepared by extrusion followed by injection molding machine. The methylene-diphenyl-diisocyanate-polybutadiene (MDIPB) prepolymer was used to enhance the impact strength of the biocomposites. In addition, the polymeric methylene-diphenyl-diisocyanate (PMDI) compatibilizer was used to enhance the mechanical properties of the composites. The effect of compatibilizer on mechanical, crystallization melting, thermomechanical, melt flow index (MFI), morphological, and thermal stability properties of the composites was studied. Thermomechanical properties of the biocomposites were studied by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the interfacial adhesion between the fiber and matrix. The results showed that MDIPB and PMDI have a significant effect on the mechanical properties of the composites. The impact strength of MDIPB- and PMDI-compatibilized composites was increased by 87 % when compared to the uncompatibilized composite.


Author(s):  
Darunee Aussawasathien ◽  
Erol Sancaktar

Electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber precursor based Carbon Nanofiber (CNF) mats were produced and impregnated with epoxy resin. The mechanical properties of as-prepared nanofibers in the mat and short fiber filled epoxy nanocomposite forms were determined to demonstrate the effect of fiber aspect ratio and interconnecting network on those properties. Our experimental results reveal that epoxy nanocomposites containing Electrospun Carbon Nano Fibers (ECNF) with high fiber aspect ratio and high interconnecting network in the non-woven mat form yield better mechanical properties than those filled with short ECNFs. The ECNF mat in epoxy nanocomposites provides better homogeneity, more interlocking network, and easier preparation than short ECNFs. Mechanical properties of ECNF mat-epoxy nanocomposites, which we obtained using tensile and flexural tests, such as stiffness and modulus increased, while toughness and flexural strength decreased, compared to the neat epoxy resin. Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) results showed, higher modulus for ECNF mat-epoxy nanocomposites, compared to those for neat epoxy resin and short ECNF-epoxy nanocomposites. The epoxy nanocomposites had high modulus, even though the glass transition temperature, Tg values dropped at some extents of ECNF mat contents when compared with the neat epoxy resin. The cure reaction was retarded since the amount of epoxy and hardener decreased at high ECNF contents together with the hindering effect of the ECNF mat to the diffusion of epoxy resin and curing agent, leading to low crosslinking efficiency.


e-Polymers ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Joly ◽  
Patrick Martin ◽  
Luc Liénard ◽  
Delphine Rutot ◽  
Fabrice Stassin ◽  
...  

AbstractCellulose-based plastic films were prepared in homogeneous media with a range of lauroyl fatty acid attachments by ester formation, expressed as the degree of substitution (DS). The esters were cast to form films and their mechanical properties studied. This study showed a surprising relationship between DS and elastic modulus as well as DS and tensile strength, where a peak was observed at DS 2.4. The unexpected variation of static elastic modulus (E) was confirmed by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and this trend was also observed for glass transition temperature (Tg). These results are discussed in relation to sample cohesion.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Yuriy A. Anisimov ◽  
Duncan E. Cree ◽  
Lee D. Wilson

This work focused on a mutual comparison and characterization of the physicochemical properties of three-component polymer composites. Binary polyaniline–chitosan (PANI–CHT) composites were synthesized by in situ polymerization of PANI onto CHT. Ternary composites were prepared by blending with a third component, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Composites with variable PANI:CHT (25:75, 50:50 and 75:25) weight ratios were prepared whilst fixing the composition of PVA. The structure and physicochemical properties of the composites were evaluated using thermal analysis (thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)) and spectroscopic methods (infrared (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)). The equilibrium and dynamic adsorption properties of composites were evaluated by solvent swelling in water, water vapour adsorption and dye adsorption isotherms. The electrical conductivity was estimated using current–voltage curves. The mechanical properties of the samples were evaluated using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and correlated with the structural parameters of the composites. The adsorption and swelling properties paralleled the change in the electrical and mechanical properties of the materials. In most cases, samples with higher content of chitosan exhibit higher adsorption and mechanical properties, and lower conductivity. Acid-doped samples showed much higher adsorption, swelling, and electrical conductivity than their undoped analogues.


Aerospace ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aikaterini-Flora Trompeta ◽  
Elias Koumoulos ◽  
Sotirios Stavropoulos ◽  
Theodoros Velmachos ◽  
Georgios Psarras ◽  
...  

Epoxy composites are widely used in primary aerospace structures, where high impact damage properties are necessary. However, challenges appear when multiple functionalities, including electrical and thermal conductivity, are needed in parallel with increased mechanical properties. The current study aims at the assessment of a critical concentration of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), incorporated in epoxy resin, which will indicate a threshold for optimal electrical, thermal and mechanical properties. For the evaluation of this optimal concentration, electrical conductivity, thermal stability and nanomechanical properties (Young modulus and nanohardness) have been assessed, for epoxy nanocomposites with 0 to 15 parts per hundred resin per weight (phr) MWCNTs. Percolation theory was applied to study the electrical conductivity for different contents of MWCNTs in the epoxy nanocomposite system. Thermogravimetric analysis was employed for the assessment of the epoxy composites’ thermal properties. Nanohardness and elastic modulus were measured, and the hardness versus modulus index was calculated. Emphasis was given to the dispersion of MWCNTs in the epoxy matrix, which was assessed by both microscopy techniques and X-ray micro–computed tomography. A correlation between the optimum dispersion and MWCNTs content in terms of electrical conductivity, thermal stability, and nanomechanical properties revealed a threshold concentration at 3 phr, allowing the manufacturing of aerospace structures with multifunctional properties.


2012 ◽  
Vol 486 ◽  
pp. 34-38
Author(s):  
Jing Chao Zou ◽  
Ai Yun Jiang ◽  
Bao Feng Zhang ◽  
Hai Hong Wu ◽  
Ya Jun Zhou

Authors investigated the relationship among processing parameters, microstructures, electrical conductivity and mechanical property of injection molded nanoparticle filled polymer composites at present study. Standard tensile specimens were injected under different injecting pressures and packing pressures. The molded specimens were removing five layers from the surface to observe the microstructures at different positions of the moldings. The electrical properties were measured with a two-terminal standard resistor under DC condition at room temperature, and the mechanical properties of the moldings were measured by INSTRON 5580 Universal testing machine. The results showed that filled nanoparticles may form the best conductive path under the higher packing pressure matched with higher injection pressure. The mechanical properties of the molding depend on not only the concentration of the nanofiller, but processing conditions as well.


Author(s):  
Katarzyna Gańczyk-Specjalska ◽  
Paulina Magnuszewska

The paper presents the thermomechanical properties of solid rocket propellants containing hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was used in analysing the mechanical properties of propellant for two different sample geometries (cuboid and cylindrical). Nonisothermal and isothermal analyses were carried out in two holders: dual-cantilever and compression. The glass transition temperature of soft and hard segments in the propellants, the effect of dynamic force on sample strain, the creep-relaxation process (based on which parameters in the Burgers model were calculated) were determined based on the results of the analysis.


2008 ◽  
Vol 68 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 1644-1648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qing Wang ◽  
Jianfeng Dai ◽  
Weixue Li ◽  
Zhiqiang Wei ◽  
Jinlong Jiang

Polymers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aisha Tanvir ◽  
Patrik Sobolčiak ◽  
Anton Popelka ◽  
Miroslav Mrlik ◽  
Zdenko Spitalsky ◽  
...  

The electrically conductive, transparent, and flexible self-standing thin nanocomposite films based on copolyamide matrix (coPA:Vestamelt X1010) modified with 2D Ti3C2Tx (MXene) nanosheets were prepared by casting and their electrical, mechanical and optical properties and then, were investigated. The percolation threshold of the MXene filler within the coPA matrix was found to be 0.05 vol. %, and the highest determined electrical conductivity was 1.4 × 10−2 S·cm−1 for the composite filled with 5 wt. % (1.8 vol. %) of MXene. The electrical conductivity of the as-prepared MXene was 9.1 S·cm–1, and the electrical conductivity of the MAX phase (the precursor for MXene preparation) was 172 S·cm–1. The transparency of the prepared composite films exceeded 75%, even for samples containing 5 wt. % of MXene, as confirmed by UV spectroscopy. The dynamic mechanical analysis confirmed the improved mechanical properties, such as the storage modulus, which improved with the increasing MXene content. Moreover, all the composite films were very flexible and did not break under repeated twisting. The combination of the relatively high electrical conductivity of the composites filled with low filler content, an appropriate transparency, and good mechanical properties make these materials promising for applications in flexible electronics.


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