TY - JOUR
T1 - Carbon nanotube enhanced shape memory epoxy for improved mechanical properties and electroactive shape recovery
AU - Datta, Siddhant
AU - Henry, Todd C.
AU - Sliozberg, Yelena R.
AU - Lawrence, Bradley D.
AU - Chattopadhyay, Aditi
AU - Hall, Asha J.
N1 - Funding Information:
Research was sponsored by the Army Research Laboratory and was accomplished under Cooperative Agreement W911NF-17-2-0207. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the Army Research Laboratory or the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for Government purposes notwithstanding any copyright notation herein.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2021/1/6
Y1 - 2021/1/6
N2 - This paper focuses on the processing, fabrication and characterization of a novel carbon nanotube (CNT) based electroactive shape memory epoxy nanocomposite with significant improvements in static and dynamic mechanical properties. Electro-active shape memory specimens have been fabricated by soaking CNT membranes (buckypaper) in shape memory epoxy polymer (SMEP) through a specialized fabrication process developed in-house that results in a high CNT wt. fraction of 30 wt%. The novel fabrication approach leads to drastic improvement in mechanical performance due to effective interfacial interaction between the SMEP and CNTs at the nanoscale. This is accomplished as the SMEP thoroughly permeates the buckypaper through the nano- and micro-pores, owing to the microstructure-induced capillary action. The improvement in quasistatic and dynamic mechanical properties of the baseline SMEP using CNT buckypaper is demonstrated and correlated with the microstructure through scanning electron microscopy characterization. For the buckypaper-enhanced SMEP (CNT-SMEP), the improvement in elastic modulus in the temperature extremes of 20 and 50ׄ°C was found to be 52% (1810 MPa compared to 2740 MPa) and 514% (7.6 MPa compared to 46.7 MPa), respectively. Furthermore, through the dynamic mechanical measurements, the increase in storage modulus in the range of 30-90ׄ°C was found to be 60% and 82%, respectively. In addition, the shape memory recovery response for this material system is characterized by stress-free electrical actuation of the CNT-SMEP using a 12V DC supply as well as using stress and temperature control testing.
AB - This paper focuses on the processing, fabrication and characterization of a novel carbon nanotube (CNT) based electroactive shape memory epoxy nanocomposite with significant improvements in static and dynamic mechanical properties. Electro-active shape memory specimens have been fabricated by soaking CNT membranes (buckypaper) in shape memory epoxy polymer (SMEP) through a specialized fabrication process developed in-house that results in a high CNT wt. fraction of 30 wt%. The novel fabrication approach leads to drastic improvement in mechanical performance due to effective interfacial interaction between the SMEP and CNTs at the nanoscale. This is accomplished as the SMEP thoroughly permeates the buckypaper through the nano- and micro-pores, owing to the microstructure-induced capillary action. The improvement in quasistatic and dynamic mechanical properties of the baseline SMEP using CNT buckypaper is demonstrated and correlated with the microstructure through scanning electron microscopy characterization. For the buckypaper-enhanced SMEP (CNT-SMEP), the improvement in elastic modulus in the temperature extremes of 20 and 50ׄ°C was found to be 52% (1810 MPa compared to 2740 MPa) and 514% (7.6 MPa compared to 46.7 MPa), respectively. Furthermore, through the dynamic mechanical measurements, the increase in storage modulus in the range of 30-90ׄ°C was found to be 60% and 82%, respectively. In addition, the shape memory recovery response for this material system is characterized by stress-free electrical actuation of the CNT-SMEP using a 12V DC supply as well as using stress and temperature control testing.
KW - Buckypaper
KW - Carbon nanotubes
KW - Dynamic mechanical properties
KW - Electroactive
KW - Shape memory epoxy
KW - Thermomechanical properties
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U2 - 10.1016/j.polymer.2020.123158
DO - 10.1016/j.polymer.2020.123158
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85094582673
SN - 0032-3861
VL - 212
JO - Polymer
JF - Polymer
M1 - 123158
ER -