Development of Graphene/ceramic composites with damage self-monitoring capabilities

智能复合材料已成为21世纪世纪生活方式中必不可少的组成部分。这些物质存在于手机电池、糖尿病传感器、保暖夹克或飞机叶片中。复合材料联合收割机结合了结构和功能能力，最近将石墨烯整合到陶瓷和聚合物基体中，可以为设计新型复合材料提供新的机会。然而，为了实现这一目标，我们需要能够设计和构建结构，以充分利用石墨烯（碳的单原子层）的独特性质，例如它是最高导电性或电子迁移率的材料。在该项目中，将使用自下而上的策略来设计新的石墨烯/陶瓷复合材料，灵感来自生物材料的层次结构。我们将探索氧化石墨烯（化学剥离石墨）悬浮液加工，以构建3D石墨烯网络，从而作为陶瓷和陶瓷基材料的支架，利用新型技术陶瓷制造路线，如冷冻铸造或3D打印，制造多材料和构建设备。目前的挑战是设计，建立和评估一种新的复合材料的损伤传感能力。例如，“一种具有损伤自监测能力的新型复合材料”的目标将在从能源到运输的广泛应用中节省意外的分解停止成本。在这个项目中，将开发和使用各种技能和技术。该项目的第一阶段将涉及材料的表征和加工，并将使用不同的技术，如粒度分布，zeta电位，XRD，SEM，TEM等。还将获得石墨烯和陶瓷的湿法加工以及通过3D打印和/或冷冻铸造成型的技能，从而发展流变学的基础学习。最后，新复合材料的实现还需要机械和电气特性方面的培训。该项目将与伦敦帝国理工学院先进结构陶瓷中心、伦敦玛丽女王大学建立外部合作关系，并可能与石墨烯和碳基材料供应商（如“GRAPHENEA”和“HAYDALE”）建立合作关系。此外，跨学院的合作也可能是由于所提出的研究的多学科性质。

Smart composite materials have become essential in 21st century lifestyle. These are found in phone batteries, diabetes sensors, thermo-jackets or aircraft blades. Composite materials combine structural and functional capabilities and the recent integration of graphene into ceramic and polymeric matrices could open new opportunities on the design novel composites. However, to materialize this goal we need to be able to design and build structures to take full advantage of graphene's (monoatomic layer of carbon) unique properties, such as it being the material of highest electrical conductivity or electron mobility. In this project a bottom up strategy to design new graphene/ceramic composite materials will be used, taking inspiration from biomaterials hierarchical structures. We will explore graphene oxide (chemically exfoliated graphite) suspensions processing in order to build 3D graphene networks which in turn will serve as scaffolds to host ceramic and ceramic based materials, taking advantage of novel technical ceramic manufacturing routes such as freeze casting or 3D printing to fabricate multi-materials and build devices. The challenge is to design, build up, and evaluate a new composite with damage sensing capabilities. The goal "a novel composite with damage self-monitoring capabilities" would for instance save unexpected break-up stop costs in a broad range of applications from energy to transportation. In this project a wide variety of skills and techniques will be developed and used. The first stage of the project will deal with characterization and processing of materials and different techniques such as particle size distribution, zeta potential, XRD, SEM, TEM among others will be used. Skills in wet processing of graphene and ceramics together with their shaping by 3D printing and/or freeze casting will also be acquired and thus fundamental learning in rheology will be developed. Finally the achievement of the new composite will also demand training in mechanical and electrical characterization. The project will establish external collaborations with the Centre of Advanced Structural Ceramics at Imperial College London, Queen Mary University London and collaborations with graphene and carbon based materials suppliers such as "GRAPHENEA" and "HAYDALE" may also arise. Moreover, across college collaborations may be also possible due to the multidisciplinary character of the research proposed.