Highly conductive carbon nanotube buckypapers with improved doping stability via conjugational cross-linking

Carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets or buckypapers have demonstrated promising electrical conductivity and mechanical performance. However, their electrical conductivity is still far below the requirements for engineering applications, such as using as a substitute for copper mesh, which is currently used in composite aircraft structures for lightning strike protection. In this study, different CNT buckypapers were stretched to increase their alignment, and then subjected to conjugational cross-linking via chemical functionalization. The conjugationally cross-linked buckypapers (CCL-BPs) demonstrated higher electrical conductivity of up to 6200?S?cm( - 1), which is more than one order increase compared to the pristine buckypapers. The CCL-BPs also showed excellent doping stability in over 300?h in atmosphere and were resistant to degradation at elevated temperatures. The tensile strength of the stretched CCL-BPs reached 220?MPa, which is about three times that of pristine buckypapers. We attribute these property improvements to the effective and stable conjugational cross-links of CNTs, which can simultaneously improve the electrical conductivity, doping stability and mechanical properties. Specifically, the electrical conductivity increase resulted from improving the CNT alignment and inter-tube electron transport capability. The conjugational cross-links provide effective 3D conductive paths to increase the mobility of electrons among individual nanotubes. The stable covalent bonding also enhances the thermal stability and load transfer. The significant electrical and mechanical property improvement renders buckypaper a multifunctional material for various applications, such as conducting composites, battery electrodes, capacitors, etc.     

Mechanical and electrical properties of polycarbonate nanotube buckypaper composite sheets

The thermogravimetric, mechanical, and electrical properties of composite sheets produced by infiltrating single-wall carbon nanotube films (also known as 'buckypapers') with polycarbonate solution were characterized. The composite sheets showed improved stiffness and toughness, while the electrical conductivity decreased, as compared to a neat buckypaper. In addition, polycarbonate/buckypaper composite sheets showed higher resistance to handling and processing damages. Experimental results suggest the viability of the infiltration process as a means to toughen buckypapers and to fabricate polymer/carbon nanotube composites having high nanotube concentration and controlled nanotube structure.     

Enhanced delamination initiation stress and monitoring sensitivity of quasi-isotropic laminates under in-plane tension by interleaving with CNT buckypaper

Delamination initiation and the corresponding in-situ monitoring method have been investigated for a T300/epoxy quasi-isotropic laminate. Interfaces of the laminate, in which the delamination tends to occur under in-plane tensile load, have been interleaved with porous carbon nanotube (CNT) buckypapers. Both sectional loading to the delamination initiation and full tension to the fracture of specimens were performed to evaluate the reinforced effect and self-sensing properties of the CNT buckypapers on the laminates. As expected, enhanced delamination initiation stress level was obtained, improved by 7.7% compared with that of the base laminate. Simultaneously, electrical resistance and acoustic emission (AE) responses of the laminates were also measured and used to determine the initiation of delamination. The tests have exhibited that the CNT buckypapers have significant influence on the resistance change of the laminate, showing potential to be used as a detector. This study has preliminarily demonstrated that the CNT buckypapers can serve as both sensing and strengthening constituent.     

丙烯酸树脂/TiO2有机-无机杂化材料的力学、热学和光学性能研究

采用溶胶-凝胶法成功制备了均匀透明的丙烯酸树脂/TiO2有机-无机杂化材料.通过动态力学分析仪(DMA)、电子拉力机(Instron Tester)、热失重分析仪(TGA)和紫外可见光谱(UV-VIS)等手段表征了杂化材料的力学、热学和光学性能.结果发现丙烯酸树脂与TiO2杂化后,聚合物的力学性能、热稳定性和紫外屏蔽性能均有显著提高.与原位聚合法相比,共混法合成该杂化材料可获得更优异的力学性能.增加丙烯酸树脂中的丙烯酸含量能显著降低相分离,从而使其各种性能,特别是力学性能得以提高.     

Mechanical properties of functionally graded 2-D cellular structures: A finite element simulation

Functionally graded cellular structures such as bio-inspired functionally graded materials for manufacturing implants or bone replacement, are a class of materials with low densities and novel physical, mechanical, thermal, electrical and acoustic properties. A gradual increase in cell size distribution, can impart many improved properties which may not be achieved by having a uniform cellular structure.The material properties of functionally graded cellular structures as a function of density gradient have not been previously addressed within the literature. In this study, the finite element method is used to investigate the compressive uniaxial and biaxial behavior of functionally graded Voronoi structures. Furthermore, the effect of missing cell walls on its overall mechanical (elastic, plastic, and creep) properties is investigated.The finite element analysis showed that the overall effective elastic modulus and yield strength of structures increased by increasing the density gradient. However, the overall elastic modulus of functionally graded structures was more sensitive to density gradient than the overall yield strength. The study also showed that the functionally graded structures with different density gradient had similar sensitivity to random missing cell walls. Creep analysis suggested that the structures with higher density gradient had lower steady-state creep rate compared to that of structures with lower density gradient.     

Facile preparation of graphene nanoribbon filled silicone rubber nanocomposite with improved thermal and mechanical properties

In the present study, graphene nanoribbon was prepared through unzipping the multi walled carbon nanotubes, and its reinforcing effect as a filler to the silicone rubber was further investigated. The results showed that carbon nanotubes could be unzipped to graphene nanoribbon using strong oxidants like potassium permanganate and sulfuric acid. The prepared graphene nanoribbon could homogeneously disperse within silicone rubber matrix using a simple solution mixing approach. It was also found from the thermogravimetric analysis curves that the thermal stability of the graphene nanoribbon filled silicone rubber nanocomposites improved compared to the pristine silicone rubber. Besides, with the incorporation of the nanofiller, the mechanical properties of the resulting nanocomposites were significantly enhanced, in which both the tensile stress and Young’s modulus increased by 67% and 93% respectively when the mass content of the graphene nanoribbon was 2.0 wt%. Thus it could be expected that graphene nanoribbon had large potentials to be applied as the reinforcing filler to fabricate polymers with increased the thermal and mechanical properties.     

Highly oriented carbon nanotube papers made of aligned carbon nanotubes

Paper-like carbon nanotube (CNT) materials have many important applications such as in catalysts, in filtration, actuators, capacitor or battery electrodes, and so on. Up to now, the most popular way of preparing buckypapers has involved the procedures of dispersion and filtration of a suspension of CNTs. In this work, we present a simple and effective macroscopic manipulation of aligned CNT arrays called 'domino pushing' in the preparation of the aligned thick buckypapers with large areas. This simple method can efficiently ensure that most of the CNTs are well aligned tightly in the buckypaper. The initial measurements indicate that these buckypapers have better performance on thermal and electrical conductance. These buckypapers with controllable structure also have many potential applications, including supercapacitor electrodes.     

间接SLS金属件的树脂增强研究

间接选择性激光烧结制造的金属零件毛坯经脱脂和高温烧结,所得零件存在大量的孔隙,故其致密度和强度较差,本文采用改性环氧树脂对上述方法制造的零件进行致密化浸渗,并采用DSC、TGA和SEM分析方法研究了不同配比的树脂渗剂的浸渗及渗后零件的力学性能。结果表明,渗剂环氧树脂和酚醛树脂的比例为2∶1时,所得零件的性能最佳,此时最佳渗入温度和固化温度分别为100℃和160℃,渗入后零件的耐热温度达200℃,而且零件的致密度也得到提高,浸渗前后零件的拉伸强度分别为7.64MPa和29.51MPa。该方法对制造注塑模具有一定的参考价值。     

Low Thermal Conductivity through Dense Particle Packings with Optimum Disorder

Heat transport plays a critical role in modern batteries, electrodes, and capacitors. This is caused by the ongoing miniaturization of such nanotechnological devices, which increases the local power density and hence temperature. Even worse, the introduction of heterostructures and interfaces is often accompanied by a reduction in thermal conductivity, which can ultimately lead to the failure of the entire device. Surprisingly, a fundamental understanding of the governing heat transport processes even in simple systems, such as binary particle mixtures is still missing. This contribution closes this gap and elucidates how strongly the polydispersity of a model particulate system influences the effective thermal conductivity across such a heterogeneous system. In a combined experimental and modeling approach, well‐defined mixtures of monodisperse particles with varying size ratios are investigated. The transition from order to disorder can reduce the effective thermal conductivity by as much as ≈50%. This is caused by an increase in the thermal transport path length and is governed by the number of interparticle contact points. These results are of general importance for many particulate and heterostructured materials and will help to conceive improved device layouts with more reliable heat dissipation or conservation properties in the future.     

碳纳米管增强镁基复合材料导热性能研究

镁及其合金是目前最轻的金属结构材料,合金化虽然提升了镁合金的力学性能,但导致其导热性能严重下降,限制了镁合金的应用。碳纳米管(CNTs)因具有优异的力学、热学等性能,是最理想的增强体之一,可以用于改善镁合金的力学性能和热学性能。采用粉末冶金法分别以纯Mg、Mg-9Al合金、Mg-6Zn合金为基体制备了不同CNTs含量的镁基复合材料,利用光学显微镜、扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜对复合材料微观组织、基体与增强体界面及析出相进行表征,并对复合材料的拉伸性能和热学性能进行测试。研究结果表明,当CNTs质量分数不超过1.0%时,可提高纯镁基复合材料的导热性能,力学性能仅有稍微降低;将CNTs添加到Mg-9Al合金中,可以促进纳米尺度β-Mg 17 Al 12相在CNTs周围析出,降低了Al在Mg基体中的固溶度,使CNTs/Mg-9Al复合材料的导热性能有所提高。此外,在CNTs/Mg-6Zn复合材料界面处存在C原子和Mg原子的相互嵌入区,这种嵌入型界面不仅有利于复合材料力学性能的提高,也使CNTs起到加速电子移动的“桥”的作用,有利于该复合材料热导率的提高。当CNTs质量分数为0.6%时,CNTs/Mg-6Zn复合材料具有较为优异的热学性能和力学性能,其热导率为127.0 W/(m·K),抗拉强度为303.0 MPa,屈服强度为204.0 MPa,伸长率为5.0%。     

植物纤维含量对聚乳酸/玉米秸秆纤维发泡材料(PFFM)性能的影响研究

通过SEM、力学性能测试、TG等方法研究了纤维对聚乳酸/玉米秸秆纤维复合发泡材料(PFFM)微观结构、表观密度、膨胀率、力学性能和热性能的影响。结果表明,玉米秸秆纤维的加入提高了发泡材料的表观密度和力学性能,当纤维含量为15%时,表观密度最小,综合力学性能最好;扫描电镜结果显示,聚乳酸和玉米秸秆纤维之间相容性较好,纤维的加入改变了泡孔成型方式。     

含h-BN复相陶瓷制备及性能研究进展

陶瓷材料密度低、抗腐蚀性及耐磨性良好,但是其硬而脆导致加工困难、抗热震性差。h-BN具有弹性模量低、硬度低的特点,其可加工性能和抗热震性能优异。将h-BN引入陶瓷基体制备含h-BN复相陶瓷,能够有效改善陶瓷材料的可加工性能和抗热震性。对含h-BN复相陶瓷的材料体系、制备工艺和性能的研究一直备受关注。本文以h-BN的引入方式为分类依据较全面地总结了含h-BN复相陶瓷的制备方法。本文对引入h-BN后所制备的含h-BN复相陶瓷的常规力学性能、抗热震性、可加工性、透波性、摩擦磨损等性能的影响进行了综述;对含h-BN复相陶瓷的制备及性能研究中存在的问题进行了概括,并对该材料体系的研究方向提出了建议。     

低密度碳空心微球的制备及酚醛树脂空心微球复合材料的性能

以BJO-0930酚醛树脂空心微球为原料,通过酸洗、预氧化、碳化三步工艺,成功制备球形度好、强度高的碳空心微球,并与热固性酚醛树脂复合,热压成型得到轻质酚醛树脂/空心微球复合材料。系统考察了碳化温度、循环酸洗、预氧化等对碳空心微球强度的影响。复合材料的力学性能和隔热性能分别通过压缩性能以及热导率测试进行表征。结果表明:直接碳化得到的碳空心微球破球率高、强度低;通过循环酸洗可以有效去除树脂球的灰分,破球率由28.07%降低至18.03%;进一步预氧化处理可以显著提高碳空心微球的强度,其破球率和等静压破球率分别为10.03%和17.34%;制备得到的酚醛树脂/碳空心微球复合材料具有优异的隔热性能和力学性能,热导率降低至0.115 W·m~(-1)·K~(-1),压缩强度为46.02MPa。     

Preparation and properties of adjacency crosslinked polyurethane---urea elastomers

Adjacency crosslinked polyurethane--urea (PUU) elastomers with different crosslinking density were prepared by using hydroxyl-terminated liquid butadiene-nitrile (HTBN), toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and chain extender 3,5-dimethyl thio-toluene diamine (DMTDA) as raw materials, dicumyl peroxide (DCP) as initiator, and N,N'-m-phenylene dimaleimide (HVA-2) as the crosslinking agent. The influences of the crosslinking density and temperature on the structure and properties of such elastomers were investigated. The crosslinking density of PUU elastomer was tested by the NMR method. It is found that when the content of HVA-2 is 1.5%, the mechanical properties of polyurethane elastomer achieve optimal performance. By testing thermal performance of PUU, compared with linear PUU, the thermal stability of the elastomers has a marked improvement. With the addition of HVA-2, the loss factor tanδ decreases. FT-IR spectral studies of PUU elastomer at various temperatures were performed. From this study, heat-resistance polyurethane could be prepared, and the properties of PUU at high temperature could be improved obviously.     

陶瓷纤维增强氧化硅气凝胶复合材料力学性能试验

氧化硅气凝胶具有极低的热导率和密度,可作为很好的隔热材料,而脆弱的力学性能限制了其在隔热领域的应用。在不影响隔热效果的前提下,通过复合陶瓷纤维可增加氧化硅气凝胶的强度及韧性。试验探索了陶瓷纤维增强氧化硅气凝胶在室温下的拉伸、压缩和剪切等基本力学性能,分别研究了300℃、600℃和900℃下复合材料纤维铺层面方向的压缩性能,并采用扫描电子显微镜对高温试样微观结构进行了观察分析。结果表明：陶瓷纤维增强氧化硅气凝胶的性能表现出方向性,弹性模量在铺层面内方向与厚度方向的数值最大相差约28倍,强度极限亦然;在室温条件下,复合材料的拉伸和压缩弹性模量不同,X 、Y 和 Z 方向拉伸模量与对应的压缩模量之比分别为1.60、1.83和0.56;高温下复合材料沿厚度方向收缩,收缩量随温度升高而增大,900℃下的最大收缩量可达10.8%;高温下复合材料铺层面内方向压缩性能随温度升高而增强。     

Mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of aluminum nitride/polyetherimide composites

The mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of modified AlN/polyetherimide (PEI) composites were investigated. It revealed that the surface of AlN modified by silane could effectively increase the adhesion with matrix, which was beneficial for AlN to reinforce the polyetherimide matrix. After silane modification, the AlN showed good dispersion and wetibility in the polyetherimide matrix and imparted excellent mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. The tensile strength, modulus, electrical and thermal stability were improved with the increasing of AlN content. The tensile strength of AlN/PEI composites increased by 27% when 12.6 vol.% AlN was added to neat polyetherimide. The thermal conductivity of the 57.4 vol.% AlN/PEI composites increased three times compared with neat polyetherimide. Test results indicate that the silane grafted AlN incorporated into the polyetehetimide matrix effectively enhance the thermal stability, thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of the polyetherimide composites.     

Effect of ion irradiation on the properties of carbon nanotube buckypapers

Optical, electrical and structural properties of argon (Ar) ion-irradiated buckypapers of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) at various doses prepared by a vacuum filtration method were investigated. It was found that the direct current (DC) conductivity and absorption spectra in the visible range were decreased with an increasing Ar ion irradiation dose. A subsequent heating of nanotube buckypapers at 800 K in a vacuum at each irradiation dose improved the conductivity of buckypapers, whereas optical absorption was unchanged. Moreover, the graphite structure of MWCNTs was transformed to amorphous structure with an increasing Ar ion irradiation dose. The decrease of optical absorption and electrical conductivity of MWCNT buckypaper at room temperature can be ascribed to the increase of defects in the irradiated MWCNTs.     

Effects of carbon fibers on the flammability and smoke emission characteristics of halogen-free thermoplastic polyurethane/ammonium polyphosphate

In the present study, the effects of carbon fibers (CFs) on flame retardancy, smoke emission, thermal and mechanical properties of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/ammonium polyphosphate (APP) are investigated. The cone calorimeter results show that the combination of 15.00 wt% APP + 5.00 wt% CF greatly lowered peak heat release rate, total heat release, and total smoke release, as well as increased char residue, which is due to a compact char layer formed on the ablating surface of TPU-4 composites, as shown by the SEM results. Smoke suppression properties investigated by smoke density test demonstrate that CF combined with APP greatly reduced the smoke emission. The TPU composite containing 5.00 wt% CF has the highest LOI value of all the intumescing composites studied. Meanwhile, the addition of CF also caused enhanced mechanical properties of TPU composites to a certain degree. Thermogravimetric (TG) analysis indicates that CF combined with APP enhanced the high-temperature thermal stability of TPU composites compared with the pristine TPU, due to the increase of the char residue. Thermogravimetric analysis/infrared spectrometry (TG–IR) results demonstrate that CF could catalyze the further decomposition of TPU composites and remarkably reduce the production of aromatic compounds as a smoke precursor, which are the major parts of smoke.     

Structure and properties of aerated concrete: a review

Aerated concrete is relatively homogeneous when compared to normal concrete, as it does not contain coarse aggregate phase, yet shows vast variation in its properties. The properties of aerated concrete depend on its microstructure (void–paste system) and composition, which are influenced by the type of binder used, methods of pore-formation and curing. Although aerated concrete was initially envisaged as a good insulation material, there has been renewed interest in its structural characteristics in view of its lighter weight, savings in material and potential for large scale utilisation of wastes like pulverised fuel ash. The focus of this paper is to classify the investigations on the properties of aerated concrete in terms of physical (microstructure, density), chemical, mechanical (compressive and tensile strengths, modulus of elasticity, drying shrinkage) and functional (thermal insulation, moisture transport, durability, fire resistance and acoustic insulation) characteristics.     

莫来石纤维增强SiO2气凝胶复合材料的制备及性能研究

以正硅酸乙酯为硅源,采用溶胶-凝胶及超临界干燥技术制备了掺杂莫来石纤维的SiO2气凝胶复合材料,并对材料的热学性能和力学性能进行了测试,结果表明:SiO2气凝胶复合材料的热导率与其密度、温度和纤维添加量有关;添加莫来石纤维可以明显提高SiO2气凝胶的弹性模量和机械强度,改善材料的力学性能;莫来石纤维添加量控制在3%左右可以使SiO2气凝胶材料保持较低的热导率和较高的机械强度.