NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute (EAPSI) for FY 2013 in China

这一行动资助了中佛罗里达大学的James McKee于2013年夏天在中国科学院苏州纳米技术研究所(苏州纳米技术研究所)开展了一个工程研究项目，中国。该项目的题目是“自对准碳纳米管纸连续拉伸纱线的加工”。碳纳米纸(CNT)在复合材料和其他领域具有潜在的应用前景，但关键问题是生产规模化定向纳米纸的创建。对准是生产可针对预期应用定制的纳米纸的可控性能的关键。该项目调查了赞助机构现有的纳米管织物和纱线的生产实践，即所使用的拉伸工艺，以及如何将其应用于目前用于生产平面排列的碳纳米管纸张和纱线的溶液过滤方法。苏州纳米技术研究所(SINANO)生产的拉伸碳纳米管纱线之间的排列程度和各向异性正在与该研究所生产的随机定向溶液过滤生产的纳米纸进行比较。从这项研究中获得的概念模型最终将应用于当前用于生产连续的、定向的碳纳米纸的工艺。碳纳米管纸和织物可立即应用于航空航天工业，用于复合材料机身飞机的可修复电磁屏蔽和雷击保护方案，这代表着对当前金属网技术的巨大改进，并可以利用航空航天行业已经众所周知的复合材料制造技术来实施。这些材料的重量节省将提高运输部门的燃油效率，改善影响从食品价格到休闲航空旅行等一切领域的车辆性能。随着标准的随机取向纳米纸在导电性、阻燃性以及静态和动态力学性能方面的改进，制造连续、均匀排列的纳米纸的能力代表着在大型航空航天和结构应用中更有效地使用纳米材料的新能力。明显的工业效益令人印象深刻，长期的环境影响也是如此，因为能效的提高将减少车辆排放，并部分延长寿命。此外，将纳米纸集成到风力涡轮机中的好处可能会提高叶片寿命、雷达特征(许多风力涡轮机农场对雷达是半隐形的)和更低的生命周期运营成本。EAPSI奖学金的广泛影响包括为研究员提供美国以外的第一手研究经验；对各自地点的科学、科学政策和科学基础设施的介绍；以及对社会、文化和语言的了解。这些活动符合NSF的目标，即在其科学家、工程师和教育工作者的职业生涯早期为国际合作进行教育，从而确保拥有一支具有全球意识的美国科学队伍。

This action funds James McKee of the University of Central Florida to conduct a research project in Engineering during the summer of 2013 at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Suzhou Institute of Nanotechnology (SINANO) in Suzhou, China. The project title is "Processing of Continuously Drawn Yarn from Self-Aligned Carbon Nanotube Paper." The host scientist is Dr. Qingwen Li.Carbon nanopaper (CNT) possesses many potential applications in composites and other uses, but a critical issue is the creation of production-scale aligned nanopaper. The alignment is key to producing controllable properties of the nanopaper that can be tailored to the intended application. This project investigates the nanotube fabric and yarn production practices in place at the sponsor institution, namely the drawing process used, and how it can be applied to the solution-filtration methodology currently practiced to produce in-plane aligned CNT papers and yarns. The degree of alignment and anisotropy between the drawn carbon nanotube yarns produced at Suzhou Institute of Nanotechnology (SINANO) is being compared with the randomly oriented solution-filtration produced nanopaper produced at the Fellow's home institution. The conceptual model gained from this study will ultimately be applied to the current process in use to produce continuous, aligned carbon nanopaper. Carbon nanotube paper and fabric have immediate applications in the aerospace industry for repairable electromagnetic shielding and lightning strike protection schemes for composite bodied aircraft that represent a vast improvement over the current metal-mesh techniques and can implemented with the composite manufacturing techniques that are already well-known in the aerospace industry. The weight savings these materials would allow for increased fuel efficiency in the transportation sector, improving vehicle performance in sector that affects everything from food prices to leisure air travel. With the improvements to conductivity, flame resistance, and static and dynamic mechanical properties created with standard, randomly oriented nanopaper, the ability to create continuous and even aligned nanopaper represents a new ability to use nanomaterials in large aerospace and structural applications more efficiently. The obvious industrial benefits are impressive, as is the long-term environmental effect as the efficiency increase would reduce vehicle emissions and part longevity. Additionally, the benefits of the integration of the nanopaper into wind turbines could potentially improve blade longevity, radar signature (many wind turbine farms are semi-invisible to radar), and lower lifetime operating costs.Broader impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce.