CAREER: 3D Magnetic Structuring and Hierarchical Integration of Multi-functional Polymer Nanocomposites

碳纳米管更轻，更强，并且比相同重量的其他工程材料传导更多的电/热。碳纳米管和利用它们的复合材料可以提高飞机/航天器、汽车和建筑物的性能。该教师早期职业发展（CAREER）计划资助支持研究，促进这些有前途的纳米工程材料的制造知识，促进科学进步和促进国家繁荣。为了实现最高的性能，这些碳纳米管必须根据其最终的宏观结构在聚合物基体中进行整合和排序。一种新的和可扩展的磁性方法被用来混合和排序材料内的纳米管。这种受控的纳米管结构是充分利用其潜力的关键，可以替代更重的结构金属，从而实现节能，低维护和更安全的运输车辆。 这种磁性制造技术可以应用于电力和生物医学应用的工程材料，如电池电极，人造肌肉等，事关国家利益 教育活动，以促进STEM职业的多元化参与，并关闭工程教育和现实世界的需求之间的差距被纳入研究计划。将轻质碳纳米管集成到航空航天或其他结构增强塑料复合材料中以实现多功能性能增强。有组织的碳纳米管网络有望提高层间强度，取代较重的金属屏蔽层以防止电磁干扰，并用作传感/致动层。 然而，用碳纳米管改善复合材料性能目前是有限的，因为（1）多尺度结构-界面-性能关系还没有很好地理解，以及（2）需要开发纳米尺寸的碳纳米管到宏观尺寸的复合材料中的可扩展和可定制的集成。 这项赠款解决了这两个挑战。 首先，将研究使用低频磁场在聚合物基质中的纳米管的可定制3D结构，以控制碳纳米管间距和界面条件。其次，碳纳米管的实施，如3D结构和纳米管-聚合物界面，对纤维增强塑料复合材料的多功能性能的影响将进行实验评估，并使用分析和蒙特卡罗模拟方法建模。 磁性组装和缩放效应的知识，以及可扩展的制造技术，将加速设计和制造具有先进性能的分层结构的纳米填料实现的复合材料。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

Carbon nanotubes are lighter, stronger, and conduct more electricity/heat than other engineering materials for the same weight. Carbon nanotubes and composites utilizing them can improve the performance of aircraft/spacecraft, cars, and buildings. This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program grant supports research which advances knowledge about manufacturing of these promising nano-engineered materials, promoting the progress of science and advancing the national prosperity. To achieve the highest performance, these carbon nanotubes must be incorporated and ordered within the polymer matrix based on its final macroscopic structure. A novel and scalable magnetic method is used to mix and order the nanotubes within materials. This controlled nanotube structuring is the key to fully harness their potential to potentially replace much heavier structural metals, resulting in energy-efficient, low-maintenance, and safer transport vehicles. This magnetic manufacturing technology could be applied to engineer materials for power and biomedical applications, such as battery electrodes, artificial muscles, etc., that are of national interest. Educational activities to promote diverse participation in STEM careers and to close the gap between engineering education and real-world demands are integrated into the research plans. Integration of lightweight carbon nanotubes into aerospace or other structural -reinforced plastic composites are investigated for multifunctional property enhancement. Organized carbon nanotube networks are expected to improve interlaminar strength, to replace heavier metal shielding against electromagnetic interference protection, and to function as sensing/actuation layers. However, composite property improvement with carbon nanotubes is currently limited because (1) multi-scale structure-interphase-property relationships are not well understood, and (2) scalable and tailorable integration of nano-sized carbon nanotubes into macro-sized composites needs to be developed. This grant addresses these two challenges. First, tailorable 3D structuring of nanotubes in polymer matrices using low-frequency magnetic fields will be studied to enable control over carbon nanotube spacing and the interphase conditions. Second, the effects of carbon nanotube implementation, such as 3D structures and nanotube-polymer interphases, on multifunctional properties of fiber-reinforced plastic composites will be experimentally evaluated and modeled using analytical and Monte Carlo simulation approaches. The knowledge of magnetic assembly and of scaling effects, together with a scalable manufacturing technology, will accelerate design and fabrication of hierarchically structured nanofiller-implemented composites with advanced properties.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.