RUI: Multi-Scale Analysis of Catalytically Grown Carbon Nanofibers and Bulk Components

纳米材料是一种先进材料，至少有一个维度低于100纳米，或者说大约是人类头发宽度的千分之一。研究最广泛的纳米材料是基于碳的，因为这些材料有可能通过允许更坚固、更轻的结构、更高效的计算和先进的医疗应用来改变社会。缺点是，它们通常需要专门的加工，这很难在经济上扩大规模。必须进行关键的转变，将他们的理论潜力转化为现实世界的表现。该奖项支持对一种新工艺的基础研究，该工艺可以有效地生产完全由碳纳米纤维制成的大宗部件。这种用途广泛的材料通过在交通、能源、环境和医学领域的应用，有可能对社会和经济产生广泛的影响。这项研究将使用多尺度分析来了解纤维是如何形成的(纳米尺度)，它们是如何相互作用的(微观尺度)，以及它们作为整体组件是如何共同行为的(宏观尺度)。如此多样化的主题需要多学科的方法来整体地统一纳米级材料科学、化学工程和先进制造。该项目将在专业和教育层面吸引这些不同的群体，并展示为科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)学生为多学科工作场所做准备的重要性。直接合成完全由碳纳米纤维组成的块状成分为纳米级碳的应用创造了一个独立的实施例。碳纳米纤维是在含碳气体在合适的催化剂上分解时形成的。催化剂被放置在一个受限的环境(模具)中，纳米纤维在生长过程中填充该环境。在充分生长后，纤维形成高度缠绕的、机械上坚固的整体组件。影响三维纤维收集器性能的因素很多，本研究的目的是了解从催化剂处纤维形成到整体纤维相互作用的控制因素。通过机械合金化独特地控制成分和微观结构，将对使用低成本整体催化剂的纤维生长有重要的理解。将在动力学、形态和纤维生长对约束的远程响应等方面为这一全新的过程建立基础指标。大块属性也将被识别为这些结构特征的函数。这种多尺度方法对于准确地将工艺、性能和性能结合在一起至关重要。

Nanomaterials are advanced materials which have at least one dimension below 100 nanometers, or about one one-thousandth the width of a human hair. The most widely studied nanomaterials are based on carbon, as these materials have the potential to transform society by allowing stronger, lighter structures, more efficient computing and advanced medical applications. The drawback is that they often require specialized processing which is difficult to scale up economically. A critical transition must be made to convert their theoretical potential into real-world performance. This award enables fundamental research into a new process which efficiently produces bulk components made entirely of carbon nanofibers. This highly versatile material has the potential to broadly impact society and the economy by enabling applications in transportation, energy, environmental and medical disciplines. This research will use multi-scale analysis to understand how the fibers form (nanoscale), how they interact (microscale) and how they behave collectively as a bulk component (macroscale). Such diverse topics require a multi-disciplinary approach to holistically unite nanoscale materials science, chemical engineering and advanced manufacturing. The project will engage these diverse groups at the professional and educational levels and demonstrate the importance of preparing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students for a multi-disciplinary workplace. The direct synthesis of bulk components comprised entirely of carbon nanofibers creates a stand-alone embodiment for the application of nanoscale carbon. Carbon nanofibers are formed during the decomposition of a carbon-containing gas over a suitable catalyst. The catalyst is placed within a constrained environment (a mold), which the nanofibers fill during growth. After sufficient growth, the fibers form a highly entangled, bulk component which is mechanically robust. There are many factors which can alter the properties of the three-dimensional fiber collection, and the objective of this research is to understand the governing factors from fiber formation at the catalyst to fiber interaction in the bulk. An important understanding of fiber growth using low-cost, bulk catalysts will be attained by uniquely controlling composition and microstructure through mechanical alloying. Foundational metrics will be established for this brand-new process in the areas of kinetics, morphology and long-range response of fiber growth to constraint. The bulk properties will also be identified as a function of those structural characteristics. This multi-scale approach is critical to accurately couple processing, properties and performance.