3D carbon networks and their polymer composites: fabrication and electromechanical investigations of neat aerographite and aerographite-based PNCs under compressive load

Journal
Carbon  
Volume
111
Start Page
103
End Page
112
Citation
Carbon (111): 103-112 (2017-01-01)
Publisher DOI
10.1016/j.carbon.2016.09.046
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-84988971181
Publisher
Elsevier Science
Aerographite is a lightweight 3D nanocarbon network which offers covalent interconnections for polymer nanocomposites (PNCs). Here, the electrical and mechanical properties of neat Aerographite and Aerographite-based PNCs are investigated in detail. The Aerographite filler networks consist of hollow, graphitic tubes of μm-sized diameters and nm-sized wall thicknesses. Different densities of Aerographite in the range of 0.6–13.9 mg/cm3 have been investigated towards their mechanical deformation behavior, electrical conductivities and piezoresistive response under compression. This basic characterization of filler networks is compared to resulting PNCs if the Aerographite is fully embedded in epoxy matrix. It can be shown that the use of 3D interconnected Aerographite results in high electrical conductivities at low filler contents, e.g., 2–8.7 S/m for weight fractions of 0.1–1.2 wt.-%. The neat Aerographite has been characterized in detail by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy techniques. To explain the observed piezoresistive behavior of these 3D nanocarbon-based PNCs, a qualitative micromechanical model is introduced. The model describes the internal graphitic wall slippage and loss of interconnections of the inner electrically conductive networks under load. The piezoresistive response of Aerographite-based PNCs can be directly correlated to the applied outer mechanical loads.
DDC Class
600: Technik
More Funding Information
Funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement n°604391 Graphene Flagship and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) under grant agreement FA8655-13-1-3058. RA would like to thank German Research Foundation (DFG) for the financial assistance under scheme AD 183/17-1. MM would like to thank the DFG by funding via SFB 986 M 3 TP B1. Appendix A