Hybrid Electrospun Fibres from Biomass-Based Carbon Nanostructures

这项提案寻求为研究天然生物质来源和新加工技术生产的碳纳米结构的结构和机械性能提供资金。通过这些方法生产的碳纤维很有吸引力，因为它们比传统方法(PAN或沥青基)获得的碳纤维便宜，来自可再生资源，而且由于天然纤维素通常已经有了结构，它是一种有吸引力的前体材料。除此之外，本地来源的纤维素，如细菌、被囊和从植物材料中获得的胡须形式的来源，都具有纳米级的纤维直径。这使得能够生产出非常细长的纤维，从而提供高硬度和强度。其他来源的纳米纤维，如来自碳纳米管(碳纳米管)的生产成本很高，因此，我们将研究的方法有显著的优势。将使用非接触方法和新方法来研究这些材料在高性能复合材料中的应用，以更好地了解材料之间的界面。将探讨开发高通量纤维生产方法的低成本方法，特别强调能够从废物和廉价生产的生物质中提高材料性能。还将对使用聚焦离子束(FIB)系统的纳米结构的操纵和变形进行额外的冒险研究。该项目将资助曼彻斯特大学材料学院材料科学中心为期4年的博士后研究助理。没有以这种方式对这些材料的能力进行系统研究的方案，因此，其影响将是相互的学术和工业相关的。在工业参与方面，我们得到了五家工业公司的支持(Borregaard-供应商；技术纤维产品/最终用户；雷尼绍-技术和列宁-供应商和技术)。

This proposal seeks funding for investigations into the structure and mechanical properties of carbon-nanostructures produced from natural biomass sources and by novel processing techniques. Carbon fibres produced by these routes are attractive since they are cheaper than those obtained by conventional routes (PAN or pitch-based), are derived from a renewable resource and since native cellulose is often already structured, it is an attractive precursor material. In addition to this, native sources of cellulose, such as bacterial, tunicate and derived sources from plant material in the form of whiskers, have fibre diameters in the nanometer range. This enables very slender fibres to be produced which can offer high stiffnesses and strengths. Other sources of nanofibres, such as from CNTs (carbon nanotubes) are expensive to produce, and as such there are significant advantages to the approaches we will investigate. The use of these materials for high performance composites will be investigated using non-contact methods and novel approaches to better understand the interface between materials. Low-cost approaches to the development of high-throughput methods of producing fibres will be addressed, with particular emphasis on enabling the enhancement of material properties from waste and cheaply generated biomass. Additional adventurous research will be conducted on the manipulation and deformation of the nanostructures using a FIB (Focussed Ion Beam) system. The project will fund a postdoctoral research associate for 4 years who will be based in the Materials Science Centre, School of Materials, University of Manchester. No systematic programme of research into the capability of these materials has been investigated in this manner and as such the impact will be both of mutual academic and industrial relevance. In terms of industrial involvement we have the support of five industrial companies (Borregaard - supplier; Technical Fibre Products / end user; Renishaw - technology and Lenzing - suppliers and technology).