Size and synergy effects of nanofiller hybrids including graphene nanoplatelets and carbon nanotubes in mechanical properties of epoxy composites

Chatterjee, Saibal; Nafezarefi, F.; Tai, Nyan Hwa; Schlagenhauf, Lukas; Nüesch, Frank; Chu, Bryan

doi:10.1016/j.carbon.2012.07.021

Cited by 567 publications

(369 citation statements)

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“…Chatterjee et al [12] concluded that GNPs with a larger lateral dimension toughen epoxies more effectively, but did not report on the aspect ratios and dispersion quality. Additionally, only two micrometre scale GNPs were tested.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…GNPs are small stacks of multiple graphene sheets, typically derived from bulk graphite compounds. Recent studies on the use of graphene in the form of graphene nanoplatelets [12][13][14] have shown some positive results. However the mechanisms involved are not well understood, and in general only a single type is studied, rather than comparing GNPs from several sources to understand how the particle geometry and surface chemistry influence the properties, as has been done in the present work.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Graphene nanoplatelet-modified epoxy: effect of aspect ratio and surface functionality on mechanical properties and toughening mechanisms

2016

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Graphene has the potential to act as a high-performance reinforcement for adhesives or fibre composites when combined with epoxy polymer. However, it is currently mostly available not as single high aspect ratio sheets but as graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), comprised of stacks of graphene sheets.Graphene nanoplatelets of a range of lateral size, thickness, aspect ratio and surface functionality were used to modify an anhydride cured epoxy polymer.The morphology, mechanical properties and toughening mechanisms of these modified epoxies were investigated. The GNPs were sonicated in tetrahydrofuran (THF) or n-methyl-pyrrolidone (NMP) to facilitate dispersion in the epoxy. The use of THF resulted in large agglomerates, whereas more finely dispersed stacks of GNPs were observed for NMP. The maximum values of modulus (3.6 GPa at 1 wt%) and fracture energy (343 J/m 2 at 2 wt%) were * Corresponding author, Tel.: +44 20 7594 7149Email address: a.c.taylor@imperial.ac.uk (A. C. Taylor) April 11, 2016 measured for the epoxy modified with an intermediate platelet size of approximately 4 µm, compared to 2.9 GPa and 96 J/m 2 respectively for the unmodified epoxy. The Young's modulus was highly dependent on the dispersion quality, whereas the fracture energy was independent of the degree of GNP dispersion. The larger agglomerates of the GNPs which were dispersed in THF toughened the epoxy by crack deflection, whereas the GNPs dispersed in NMP showed platelet debonding, pull-out and plastic void growth of the epoxy. This work indicates that reinforcement and toughening can be achieved at much lower contents than for conventional modifiers. Further, achieving a good dispersion is crucial to the engineering application of these materials, and intermediate-sized graphene achieves the best balance of properties. Preprint submitted to Journal of Materials Science

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Graphene nanoplatelet-modified epoxy: effect of aspect ratio and surface functionality on mechanical properties and toughening mechanisms

2016

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“…The GO-3 with smaller sheet size (0·70 µm) brought about a lower stress concentration in the matrix, thus gave rise to better toughness reinforcement. However, Chatterjee et al 83 believed large-size graphene nanoplatelets (thickness of 6-15 nm) could performed better. In a matter of fact, the GNPs they used were graphite nanoplates rather than few-layer graphene sheets.…”

Section: Xu Et Almentioning

confidence: 99%

Toughening of polymers by graphene

Wang

Song

2013

Nanomaterials and Energy

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IntroductionDue to the rapid development of nanoscience and nanotechnology in the past 20 years, improvement of polymer properties by nanofillers has become a vital topic in the field of material science. [1][2][3] The polymer nanocomposites show enhanced properties by the incorporation of low amount of nanofillers such as carbon black (CB), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene and nanoclay. [4][5][6][7] Due to the high surface to volume ratio and/or high aspect ratio, the nanofillers are more efficient than the traditional fillers in reinforcing polymers. 8,9 Among the nanofillers, graphene is an atomically thick, 2D nanomaterial that is the strongest materials measured so far. it has intensively attracted a great deal of interest in extensively exploring its applications. The superior properties of graphene also reflected in the graphene/polymer nanocomposites. It has been widely reported that the mechanical, thermal, electrical, gas-barrier and flame-retardant properties of polymer can be significantly improved by the addition of graphene. 3,6,[18][19][20][21][22][23][24] Its advantages over other nanofillers have been discussed. 3,19,[25][26][27][28] However, the reinforcing efficiency of graphene highly depends on the dispersion and distribution of graphene sheets in the polymer matrix. 29 An optimized graphene-polymer interface is critical in the property transfer. [30][31][32] Pristine graphene sheets are not compatible with organic polymers and have a great tendency to agglomerate in the matrix. 3,33,34 To resolve this problem, functionalization of graphene is an essential step to achieve a molecular level dispersion.3,35 The functionalized graphene (FG) sheets could form strong interfacial bonding with polymer chains, which is favorable for load transfer, but it also confines the motion of interfacial polymer segments. [36][37][38] Thus, the enhancements in stiffness, tensile strength and hardness of polymer are frequently reported, while the elongation at break and ductility is always decreased. 3,6,39 Toughness of polymer is extremely important in the critical structural applications and highperformance areas such as automotive, aerospace and defence. 9,40 Enhancing the toughness of polymer has been a challenging issue, especially for thermosets that have highly cross-linked structure. 9Traditional fillers, such as rubber particles, can improve the toughness, but they show negative impact on mechanical properties and manufacturability. 38,41 In the past few years, toughening of polymers by graphene has been explored and reported in a few publications. 25,[29][30][31][32]38,[42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55] According to the results, it is believed that the incorporation of FG can toughen polymers including both thermoplastics and thermosets, although the understanding of the mechanism is still insufficient. In this review, the authors try to focus on the recent development on the Toughening of polymers by graphene Wang and Song ICE Publishing: All rights reserved

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“…The agglomeration could be decreased by improving the dispersion state of the filler in the polymer matrix. One of the most promising solutions is to attempt combining two carbon fillers into a hybrid structure which could lead to a potentially new multifunctional material in research and application as the result of synergy effect of both fillers, improving mechanical [17,18], thermal [13] and electrical [14] characteristics. A small size of nanofillers with a different shape results in a large surface area, thus increasing the amount of the polymer in contact with the filler.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancing electrical conductivity of multiwalled carbon nanotube/epoxy composites by graphene nanoplatelets

Kranauskaitė¹,

Macutkevič²,

Borisova³

et al. 2018

physics

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The need of high performance integrated circuits and high power density communication devices drives the development of materials enhancing the conductive performances by carbon nanoparticles. Among nanocomposites, the ternary hybrid carbon nanotubes/graphene nanoplatelets/polymer composites represent a debatable route to enhance the transport performances.In this study hybrid ternary nanocomposites were manufactured by direct mixing of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) at a fixed filler content (0.3 wt.%), but different relative combination, within an epoxy system. MWNT/epoxy nanocomposites were manufactured for comparison. The quality of dispersion was evaluated by optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrical properties of hybrid composites were measured in the temperature range from 30 up to 300 K.The synergic combination of 1D/2D particles did not interfere with the percolative behaviour of MWCNTs but improved the overall electrical performances. The addition of a small amount of GNPs (0.05 wt.%) led to a strong increment of the sample conductivity over all the temperature range, compared to that of mono filler systems.

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Size and synergy effects of nanofiller hybrids including graphene nanoplatelets and carbon nanotubes in mechanical properties of epoxy composites

Cited by 567 publications

References 35 publications

Graphene nanoplatelet-modified epoxy: effect of aspect ratio and surface functionality on mechanical properties and toughening mechanisms

Graphene nanoplatelet-modified epoxy: effect of aspect ratio and surface functionality on mechanical properties and toughening mechanisms

Toughening of polymers by graphene

Enhancing electrical conductivity of multiwalled carbon nanotube/epoxy composites by graphene nanoplatelets

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