Iranian Researcher, Colleagues Develop Lightweight Nanocomposites for Advanced Industrial Uses
A team of researchers at Wichita State University (WSU), led by Davoud Asgari, an associate professor of mechanical engineering in the WSU College of Engineering and director of the Multipurpose Nanocomposites Laboratory, developed a new generation of nanocomposites for advanced industrial applications. The product has become an innovative type of nanocomposite that could be a milestone in the design of lightweight materials with high strength and durability for the aerospace, automotive, marine, wind energy, oil and gas, medical devices and other high-density technology industries.
Asgari described delamination and weak bonding between layers as a common challenge in traditional composites, and said, "But the helical structure of our nanotubes, within the resin matrix and between the reinforcing fibers, creates a kind of mechanical entanglement that strengthens the structure from within. The result will be stronger parts for airplanes, cars, and even protective equipment."
Unlike straight nanotubes, helical nanotubes are better locked into resin matrices due to their springy shape. Using controlled chemical treatments and proprietary processes, the WSU team was able to disperse these nanotubes uniformly into epoxy resins, improving properties such as tensile strength, fracture toughness, modulus, strain to failure and hardness, even at very low weight percentages.
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with straight geometries have been widely studied for various engineering applications, and they are often treated or functionalized to improve their effectiveness, depending on their role and expected performance. However, helical configurations of CNTs (HCNTs) have not been sufficiently investigated, especially in their functionalized states for high-performance nanocomposite applications.
The coil-shaped geometry of these HCNTs increases the mechanical entanglement of these nanotubes with a host resin system when they are used as reinforcements. This consequently has the potential to improve the mechanical, thermal, electrical, and magnetic properties of the polymeric matrix systems.
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