Graphene oxide-containing isocyanate-based polyimide foams: Enhanced thermal stability and flame retardancy

Isocyanate-based graphene oxide-containing polyimide foams were synthesized by a semi-prepolymer method. In this method, while the first solution containing pre-polymer was derived from pyromellitic dianhydride and excess polymethylene polyphenylene isocyanate (PM200), the second solution contains dianhydride derivatives, water, catalysts, surfactants, and graphene oxide. PIFs were prepared with 0%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, and 1% graphene oxide by weight, respectively. PIFs exhibited a minimum side reaction and urea generation was not seen for all PIFs instead of imide bonding. The addition of graphene oxide (GO) leads to a more close-packed structure. Therefore, crosslinking density and thermal stability of graphene oxide-containing polyimide foams increased. Upon the addition of 1% GO, almost seven times higher compression strength was obtained compared to neat PIFs. Also, LOI values supported the theory that thermally stable and flame retardant PIFs can be synthesized via the isocyanate-based process with GO.     

Mechanical behavior of electrophoretically modified CFRP composites at elevated temperatures: An assessment of the influence of graphene carboxyl bath concentration

The study aims at investigating the mechanical behavior of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites modified with graphene carboxyl at elevated temperature (ET-110°C) and understanding the effect of electrophoretic deposition bath concentration (0.5 g/L, 1.0 g/L, and 1.5 g/L) on their mechanical behavior at ET. The 1.5 g/L composite has revealed a maximum improvement in energy absorbed before failure of 33.25% at RT and 22.54% at ET for flexural testing and ∼35% at RT for short beam shear testing, over neat CFRP composite. The modified composites have shown an improved flexural strain to failure at both RT and ET, with 1.5 g/L composite exhibiting maximum enhancement of 12.41% at RT and 26.52% at ET over neat composite. However, at ET, modified composites exhibited lower flexural strength and interlaminar shear strength values in comparison to that of neat. Viscoelastic behavior of all composites was studied to understand bath concentration's effect on thermal behavior via dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. Differential scanning calorimetry was employed for governing the glass transition temperature of composites. Fractography of tested samples (both ET and RT) was performed utilizing a scanning electron microscope to determine the prominent failure mode.     

Effect of nano fillers on the properties of polytetrafluoroethylene composites: Experimental and theoretical simulations

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) has excellent corrosion resistance and a low coefficient of friction; however, its high wear rate and low hardness severely limit its use. In the work, nano particles were used as fillers for PTFE. The composites were prepared by the homogeneous mixing of PTFE and other fillers and sintered at high temperatures. The work aimed to investigate the effect of various nano fillers (nanocarbon powders, graphene, fullerene, nano graphite powders, and nano copper powders) on the mechanical, thermal, and frictional properties of composites. The results of the experiments showed that the addition of graphene could improve the stress and strain values of the composites, and all the nano fillers could improve the thermal conductivity of the PTFE composites. The friction experiments showed that fullerenes could significantly improve the wear resistance of PTFE composites. In the theoretical simulation, the thermal conductivity of PTFE composites was predicted using ANSYS software, with the changes in the temperature and friction force in the friction process. The theoretical simulation results matched with the experimental values, which proved the accuracy of the theoretical simulations.     

Ionic liquid modified graphene oxide for enhanced flame retardancy and mechanical properties of epoxy resin

In this work, to improve its dispersion and flame retardancy, graphene oxide (GO) was functionalized by silane coupling agent KH550 and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazole hexafluorophosphate (PF₆-ILs), and characteristics of the PF₆-ILs@GO was obtained by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Then, the synergistic flame retardant of GO or PF₆-ILs@GO and melamine pyrophosphate (MPP) were applied for epoxy resin (EP) materials. Specifically, the limiting oxygen index (LOI) value of EP with 0.1 wt% PF₆-ILs@GO was increased to 29.2% from 27.5% of EP/MPP composites, and the UL-94 test reached the V-0 rating. The CCT results showed that the total heat release (THR) and total smoke release (TSP) of EP/MPP/PF₆-ILs@GO composites were significantly 24.4% and 53.4% lower than that of EP/MPP composites. Besides, the thermal behavior investigated by TGA indicated that the char-forming effect of GO and PF₆-ILs@GO was great, the residual char of EP/MPP/PF₆-ILs@GO composites was as high as 19.5% at 700°C, and its thermal stability was higher than that of EP/MPP composites. On the other hand, the tensile strength of EP/MPP/GO and EP/MPP/PF₆-ILs@GO composites were increased by 15.6% and 28.3% compared with EP/MPP composites. According to SEM analysis, the EP/MPP/GO composites formed a good protective char layer, which can effectively improve flame retardancy of EP. This research represents a new method of flame retardant modified GO to improve the flame retardancy and mechanical properties of polymers.     

Impact of graphene oxide nanoparticles and carbon black on the gamma radiation sensitization of acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber seal materials

Seals prepared from acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber (NBR) are primarily used in nuclear services. Nevertheless, at relatively high ionizing radiation doses, NBR seal materials may undergo radiation-induced degradation processes, leading to adverse effects on the sealing ability life. Herein, to strengthen the functional characteristics of NBR seals against radiation, graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles were prepared and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and ultraviolet/visible spectroscopies. Various NBR/GO composites fabricated with different ratios of GO nanoparticles and in the presence or absence of carbon black (CB) were investigated via cross-linking density, scanning electron microscopy, XRD, FTIR, and mechanical and thermal stability analyses. The synergistic effect of the simultaneous presence of GO and CB on the NBR seal sensitization to gamma radiation up to a dose of 1 MGy was studied. The physicomechanical properties were enhanced by adding GO nanosheets up to 3 phr and by incorporating 35 phr of a CB with GO until 5 phr. Further, the application of γ-irradiation resulted in an overall enhancement in the mechanical, physical, and thermal stability of the prepared composites up to 0.5 and 1 MGy with GO nanosheets in the absence or presence of CB particles, respectively. The mechanical measurements indicated significant increments by loading with GO nanosheets in the absence and presence of CB as well as by irradiation. The tensile strength elevated up to about 121%, 336%, and 366% by adding 3 phr GO, 3 GO:35 CB phr, and 5 GO:35 CB phr, respectively.     

Preparation and lithium storage properties of Mo2N quantum dots@nitrogen-doped graphene composite

To improve the electrochemical lithium storage performance of molybdenum nitrides, Mo₂N quantum dots@nitrogen-doped graphene oxide sponge (Mo₂N-QDs@Ngs) was prepared by hydrothermal reaction, freeze-drying and calcination in H₂/N₂ mixture with ammonium molybdate ((NH₄)Mo₇O₂₄·4H₂O), hexamethylenetetramine (C₆H₁₂N₄) and graphene oxide (GO) as raw materials. The effect of GO content on the electrochemical lithium storage performance was investigated. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) results show that the size of the prepared Mo₂N quantum dots is about 2—5 nm, and the Mo₂N quantum dots are uniformly distributed on the surface of nitrogen-doped graphene. The electrochemical test results show that when the GO content is 30%, the prepared Mo₂N-QDs@Ngs-30 has the best electrochemical lithium storage performance, which has 699 mA·h·g^-1 specific capacity at the current density of 0.1 A·g^-1, and has 286 mA·h·g^-1 specific capacity even at the current density of 2 A·g^-1.     

研究Nd-Fe-B粉末材料中不同状态氧的新方法

基于不同氧化物与碳的结合能不同,与碳的还原反应在不同的分析条件下具有先后次序,用脉冲红外氧化物夹杂分析仪,对4μm的烧结Nd Fe B永磁材料粉末的氧化行为进行了方法研究。实验结果表明,通过合理设置参数,选用跟踪升温模式,可以快速分离Nd Fe B永磁材料粉末中的不同氧化物,并可以通过加权方法进行定性验证。     

TaC涂层的氧化特征与氧化机制

用在空气中氧化、氧炔焰超高温烧蚀等方法对TaC涂层在不同温度的氧化特征与氧化机制进行研究。研究结果表明：TaC在508℃以上开始氧化,在508～690℃时氧化产物为六角Ta2O3固溶体,690～900℃时氧化产物转化为斜方Ta2O5晶体,900～1500℃时氧化产物为斜方Ta2O5,其形态为龟裂或多孔烧结态,未能形成对TaC的隔离保护膜;1500℃氧化时出现部分Ta2O5液相与Ta2O5斜方相共存的现象;在氧炔焰超高温2300℃烧蚀时形成大量的Ta2O5熔体液膜,熔体与TaC的润湿性很好。TaC涂层由低温无熔体情况下界面反应控制机制变为氧通过熔体溶解与扩散的控制机制。     

Ultraprecise 3D Printed Graphene Aerogel Microlattices on Tape for Micro Sensors and E-Skin

3D printed graphene aerogels hold promise for flexible sensing fields due to their flexibility, low density, conductivity, and piezo-resistivity. However, low printing accuracy/fidelity and stochastic porous networks have hindered both sensing performance and device miniaturization. Here, printable graphene oxide (GO) inks are formulated through modulating oxygen functional groups, which allows printing of self-standing 3D graphene oxide aerogel microlattice (GOAL) with an ultra-high printing resolution of 70 µm. The reduced GOAL (RGOAL) is then stuck onto the adhesive tape as a facile and large-scale strategy to adapt their functionalities into target applications. Benefiting from the printing resolution of 70 µm, RGOAL tape shows better performance and data readability when used as micro sensors and robot e-skin. By adjusting the molecular structure of GO, the research realizes regulation of rheological properties of GO hydrogel and the 3D printing of lightweight and ultra-precision RGOAL, improves the sensing accuracy of graphene aerogel electronic devices and realizes the device miniaturization, expanding the application of graphene aerogel devices to a broader field such as micro robots, which is beyond the reach of previous reports.     

2D MoN1.2-rGO Stacked Heterostructures Enabled Water State Modification for Highly Efficient Interfacial Solar Evaporation

Improving interfacial solar evaporation performance is crucial for the practical application of this technology in solar-driven seawater desalination. Lowering evaporation enthalpy is one of the most promising and effective strategies to significantly improve solar evaporation rate. In this study, a new pathway to lower vaporization enthalpy by introducing heterogeneous interactions between hydrophilic hybrid materials and water molecules is developed. 2D MoN_1.2 nanosheets are synthesized and integrated with rGO nanosheets to form stacked MoN_1.2-rGO heterostructures with massive junction interfaces for interfacial solar evaporation. Molecular dynamics simulation confirms that atomic thick 2D MoN_1.2 and rGO in the MoN_1.2-rGO heterostructures simultaneously interact with water molecules, while the interactions are remarkably different. These heterogeneous interactions cause an imbalanced water state, which easily breaks the hydrogen bonds between water molecules, leading to dramatically lowered vaporization enthalpy and improved solar evaporation rate (2.6 kg m⁻² h⁻¹). This study provides a promising strategy for designing 2D-2D heterostructures to regulate evaporation enthalpy to improve solar evaporate rate for clean water production.