EAGER: Do Nanofoams Have a Natural Vacuum Inside the Cells?

这项早期概念探索性研究补助金 (EAGER) 为开展实验提供资金，以开发一种制造具有纳米级泡孔尺寸的聚合物泡沫的工艺。 据推测，纳米孔泡沫（或纳米泡沫）可能能够在孔内实现自然真空，只要孔尺寸小于标准大气条件下气体/空气分子的平均自由程。拟议的研究将通过制造细胞直径小于 70 纳米（空气分子的平均自由程）的纳米泡沫来测试这一假设。将探索一种基于降低聚合物表面能来减小泡孔尺寸的新颖加工策略。将测量纳米泡沫的导热率，并将其与微孔泡沫和固体聚合物进行比较。如果成功，这项研究可以生产出绝热值高达微孔聚合物泡沫两倍的泡沫。此类泡沫可以通过改善绝缘性能来显着影响建筑行业，或者通过减少材料需求来实现进一步小型化，从而对电子行业产生显着影响。

This EArly-concept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) provides funding for conducting experiments to develop a process to create polymer foams with nanoscale cell size. It has been hypothesized that nanocellular foams (or nanofoams) may be able to achieve a natural vacuum inside cells, provided the cell size is smaller than the mean free path of gas/air molecules at standard atmospheric conditions. The proposed research will test this hypothesis by creating nanofoams that have cell diameters smaller than 70 nm, the mean-free-path for air molecules. A novel processing strategy to reduce cell size based on reduced polymer surface energy will be explored. The thermal conductivity of the nanofoams will be measured and compared to foams with microscale cells as well as solid polymer.If successful, this research could enable the production of foams with thermal insulation values as much as double that of microcellular polymer foams. Such foams could significantly impact the construction industry by improved insulation properties or the electronics industry by enabling further miniaturization through reduced material need.