Nanomaterials and Nanocomposites Thermal and Mechanical Properties Modelling

This chapter deals with the modelling of nanomaterial and nanocomposite mechanical and thermal properties. Enrichment in the technology requires materials having higher thermal properties or higher structural properties. Nanomaterials and nanocomposites can serve this purpose accurately for aerospace or thermal applications and structural applications respectively. The thermal system requires materials having high thermal conductivity while structural system requires materials having high strength. Selection of the material for particular application is very critical and requires knowledge and experience. Al, Cu, TiO2, Al2O3, etc. are considered for thermal applications while epoxy-glass, FRP, etc. are considered for structural applications. Modelling of these nanomaterials and nanocomposites is done with the help of different mathematical models available in the literature. Results show that addition of the nanoparticle/composite in the base material can enhance the thermal and structural properties. Results also show that amount of weight percentage added also affects the properties.

Carbon Nanomaterials

Development of materials always plays a key role in the civilization of the societies. After the industrial revolution, material-based technologies received attention. Nanotechnology has a revolutionary part in the development of industries. Developing technologies cannot be considered without the usage of nanomaterials. Nano-sized materials have different properties than their bulk forms basically because of the increased surface area, surface reactivity, and energy according to decreased size. Carbon-based nanomaterials have a variety of possible application areas from biosensors to aviation. This compact review put a great deal of emphasis on the position of carbon nanomaterials: CNTs, graphene, and carbon nanofibers together with their main synthesis methods and their application areas. The reader can get a quick idea about the basics of CNTs, graphene, and carbon nanofibers and their fabrication techniques.

Simulation and Modeling of Nanotechnology Aircraft Using MATLAB

The design methods based on aerospace model have been widely used in aircraft conceptual design for decades and proven very effective when restricted to simple problems with very approximate analyses. These monolithic, large, design and analysis codes are genuinely multidisciplinary, but as analyses become more complex, such codes have grown so large as to be incomprehensible and hence difficult to maintain. This chapter deals with the computational modeling of nanoparticles. Nanomaterials constitute a prominent sub-discipline in the materials and chemical sciences. Conventional materials like glass, ceramic, metals, polymers, or semiconductors can be acquired with nanoscale proportions. Nanomaterials have various microstructural distinctive attributes such as nanodiscs, nanotubes, nanocoatings, quantum dots, nanocomposites, and nanowires. The unique properties of nanoparticle-based materials and devices depend directly on size and structure dependent properties.

Lightweight Nanocomposites Polymers for Shielding Application

Electromagnetic waves can have serious effects on human health by long-term exposure. Developing lightweight materials with good electromagnetic radiation shielding (EMS) that could prevent interference is a high desire for protection. Nanocomposites polymers have a wide range of potential applications and offers suggested solutions in environmental and aerospace applications. This chapter will cover the current challenge in the reduction of electromagnetic wave by developing lightweight absorber material with a wide absorption frequency. A wide range of different nanocomposites polymers contain conductive fillers such as metal or magnetic nanoparticles and carbon-based materials will be discussed. In addition, EMS mechanisms of reflection, absorption, and multiple reflections will be discussed. The unique of the chemical and physical properties of nanocomposites polymers are promising for shielding with low-cost environmentally friendly material.

Aeronautical Impact of Epoxy/Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposite

Epoxy resin has been employed as an important matrix for aerospace composite and nanocomposite. In this chapter, latent and essential features of carbon nanotube (CNT) nanofiller have been considered with reference to aeronautical application. Consequently, epoxy/carbon nanotube nanocomposite are conversed here for space competency. Inclusion of CNT in epoxy resin affected the prerequisite features of space nanocomposite. Dispersion of nanotube has been altered using suitable processing technique. Uniform nanotube network formation affects mechanical, electrical, and other physical properties of nanocomposite. Key application areas in this regard are flame and thermal stability, strength, lightning strike resistance, and radiation shielding of space vehicles. Further investigations to optimize structure and properties of multiscale epoxy/CNT nanocomposite are needed for future success in the field. Hence, towards the end, challenges and future prospects of epoxy/CNT nanocomposite have also been deliberated for the improvement of nanomaterial properties for aerospace relevance.

Synthesis of Epoxy Nanocomposites

The formation processes of epoxy nanocomposites with carbon (nanotubes, graphene, and graphite), metal-containing, and aluminosilicate (montmorillonite and halloysite tubes) fillers are considered. A high reactivity of epoxy groups and a thermodynamic miscibility of epoxy oligomers with many substances make it possible to use diverse curing agents and to accomplish curing reactions under various technological conditions. Epoxy nanocomposites are designed to realize to the same extent the unique functional properties of nanoparticles: electric, magnetic, optical, chemical, and biological. The mutual effect of both a matrix and nanoparticles on the composite formation is discussed.

Architect of Polymer Nanocomposites for Aerospace Applications

Polymeric nanocomposites are significant engineering materials predominantly due to their enormous potential to meet a spectrum of applications, particularly in improving the strength-stiffness properties, thermal properties, optical and electrical properties. The exploitation of polymer nanocomposites in the aerospace industry is found to be attractive in recent times, since they can provide significant strength to the components with lightweight characteristics. In addition, a wide variety of polymers can be tuned with carbon and non-carbon-based nanomaterials and deployed as archetypes in the structural components of aerospace applications. Accordingly, this chapter consider the key properties of different nanomaterials in polymers as a function of nano-scale approach. Furthermore, this chapter is also dealing with the challenges that need to surmount the technological enduring of the polymer nanocomposites for advancements in the aerospace structural applications in the coming future.

Cryogenic Treatment of Polymer/MWCNT Nano-Composites for Mechanical and Tribological Applications

The cryogenic treatment of material has been known to motivate structural stability by rearranging its crystallographic structure in metals and by promoting intermolecular as well as intramolecular rearrangements in polymers. Additionally, in case of polymers reinforced with micro fillers, the structural changes brought about by cryogenic treatment are still largely governed by the polymer matrix itself. Thus, when investigated for their mechanical and tribological properties, the response of polymer/MWCNT nano-composites after cryogenic treatment was found to be depending on the cryo-structural modifications in the polymer matrix, followed by the MWCNT interaction to some extent. The enhancement in the mechanical properties of the polymer/MWCNT nano-composites is attributed to the increasing % crystallinity, changes in crystal structure, conversion of less stable phases into more stable phases, change in the nature of bonding and strengthening of interphase between polymer and MWCNT. Thus, for the cryogenic treatment temperature of -185 °C, the optimum soaking period for PA and PA/MWCNT nano-composite was 24 hrs, whereas for PBT and PBT/MWCNT nano-composite it was 12 hrs and 16 hrs, respectively. This agrees well with the popular claim that each polymer has a specific functional group and/or structural characteristic that readily responds to the cryogenic treatments conditions (irrespective of the filler type, content and/or interaction), thereby, modifying the structure and giving superior properties, which makes cryogenic treatment a material specific process.