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Description of the product/technology that incorporates graphene
A thermoset resin has been doped with graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). This resin has been intended to use in manufacturing process of carbon fiber composites based on liquid resin infusion or resin transfer molding techniques.
In order to improve the electrical and thermal conductivity of carbon fiber laminates keeping their mechanical properties, the resin has been modified with graphene nanoplatelets. Due to the nanofiller combination of extraordinary physical properties, it is expected that the obtained graphene-doped laminates present new functionalities.
Some of the major challenges in aeronautical industry are focused on reducing the structures weight which results in fuel saving and emissions reducing.
Graphene has a high electrical conductivity, so when an amount superior to its percolation threshold is added to the resin, an important increase in the electrical conductivity of the polymeric matrix (insulating) is reached and consequently this property also increase in the final composite. Carbon fiber laminates with a high electrical conductivity could be employed for electromagnetic shielding or lightning strike protection applications.
In the same way, this nanofiller also presents an elevated thermal conductivity, so the incorporation of graphene nanoplatelets to polymeric materials should induce an important rise in thermal conductivity if a good interface between then is achieved. The production of composite materials with high thermal conductivity would allow employing them in the airplane areas where it is necessary elevated heat dissipation.
Indicators
- The addition of 2wt. % of GNPs to the resin increases the electrical conductivity five orders of magnitude, so a value of 2.5x 10-1 S/m is reached.
- Thermal conductivity of the resin rises around a 50 % when a 2 wt.% of graphene nanoplatelets.
Figure 1: Surface of a cryogenic fracture of the doped resin with a 2 wt% of GNPs.
- BENZOGRAPH project, FIDAMC (internal funding)
- V.García-Martínez, M.R.Gude, A.Ureña. Dispersión y caracterización de una resina benzoxacina nanorreforzada con grafeno. XI Congreso Nacional de materiales compuestos MATCOMP15, 2015. 6-8 of July, Madrid, Spain.
- V.García-Martínez, M.R.Gude, A.Ureña, Effect of graphene addition in water absorption and thermal stability of benzoxazine carbon fiber laminates, CNMAT2016, 8-10 of june, Gijón, Asturias.
