SGER: Interfacial Mechanics of Carbon Nanotube-Polymer Composites

m.a. Haque，宾夕法尼亚州立大学尽管碳纳米管优越的电学、机械和热性能为新型复合材料开辟了可能性，但纳米管本身的优势并不能保证优越的复合材料，因为复合材料的性能在很大程度上取决于纳米管-基质界面的强度。现有的聚合物-纳米管界面研究是间接的和/或定性的，这促使本探索性研究开发一种新的实验装置，首次允许在透射电子显微镜下同时进行定性和定量的纳米管拔出测试。PI将设计和制造具有皮牛顿力和纳米位移分辨率的MEMS器件。聚合物-纳米管界面变形和破坏的物理过程将被识别和量化，以模拟纳米尺度下的界面力学，而不依赖于简单的缩小方法。这些发现也将促进我们对纳米管中两种密切相关的界面效应——粘附和摩擦的理解。

SGER: Interfacial Mechanics of Carbon Nanotube-Polymer Composites M. A. Haque, the Pennsylvania State UniversityEven though the superior electrical, mechanical and thermal properties of carbon nanotubes opens up possibilities of novel composite materials, superiority of the nanotubes alone does not guarantee superior composites because the composite properties strongly depend on the strength of the nanotube-matrix interfaces. Existing studies on polymer-nanotube interfaces are indirect and/or qualitative, which motivates this exploratory research to develop a novel experimental setup that will allow, for the first time, simultaneously qualitative and quantitative nanotube pull-out testing in-situ in the Transmission Electron Microscope. The PI will design and fabricate a MEMS device with pico-Newton force and nanometer displacement resolutions. Physical processes of polymer-nanotube interfacial deformation and failure will be identified and quantified to model the interfacial mechanics at the nanoscale without relying on simple scaling down approach. The findings will also advance our understanding of two closely related interface effects, adhesion and friction, in context of the nanotubes.