SBIR Phase I: High-Performance Polymer Nanocomposites Containing Functionalized Few-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目旨在开发含有官能化少壁碳纳米管（FWNT）的高性能聚合物纳米复合材料。 首先，FWNTs的合成条件将被优化，以确定最好的FWNTs的复合材料应用。 第二，FWNTs将功能化到一个高的可溶性程度与一个独特的技术，而不破坏其完美的石墨结构，使其固有的性能将被保留。然后将不同负载量的功能化FWNTs很好地分散到聚合物基体中，制备FWNTs/聚合物纳米复合材料。 最后，将评价所得纳米复合材料的机械和物理性能与FWNT负载率和分散度的相关性。该项目的更广泛/商业影响将是获得具有上级物理、热和机械性能的FWNT/聚合物纳米复合材料的潜力。与单壁碳纳米管和多壁碳纳米管相比，FWNTs具有结构完整性高、热稳定性好等优点。 将FWNT掺入到轻质聚合物基体中将提高FWNT/聚合物复合材料的物理和热性能。 该技术在开发高性能和轻质聚合物纳米复合材料方面具有商业重要性，该复合材料将具有广泛的最终用户，包括航空航天，包装，建筑和建筑，电子，医疗设备和体育用品等。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop high-performance polymer nanocomposites containing functionalized few-walled carbon nanotubes (FWNT). First, the synthesis conditions for FWNTs will be optimized to identify the best FWNTs for composites application. Second, the FWNTs will be functionalized to a high soluble degree with a unique technique without destroying their perfect graphite structure so that the intrinsic properties will be retained. Then the functionalized FWNTs with different loading will be well dispersed into a polymer matrix to fabricate FWNTs/polymer nanocomposites. Finally, the mechanical and physical properties of the resulting nanocomposites will be evaluated with correlation to the FWNT loading ratio and dispersion degree.The broader/commercial impact of this project will be the potential to obtain FWNT/polymer nanocomposites with superior physical, thermal and mechanical properties. The FWNTs have advantages over multi- and single-walled carbon nanotubes such as high structure perfection and thermal stability respectively. The incorporation of FWNTs into light weight polymer matrix will enhance both physical and thermal properties of the FWNT/polymer composites. This technology is of commercial importance in developing high-performance and light-weight polymer nanocomposites which will have wide-range of end users including aerospace, packaging, building and construction, electronics, medical equipment and sports goods etc.