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Now showing 1 - 10 of 37
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    CuxCo1-xFe2O4 (x = 0.33, 0.67, 1) Spinel Ferrite Nanoparticles Based Thermoplastic Polyurethane Nanocomposites with Reduced Graphene Oxide for Highly Efficient Electromagnetic Interference Shielding
    (Basel : Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI), 2022-2-26) Anju; Yadav, Raghvendra Singh; Pötschke, Petra; Pionteck, Jürgen; Krause, Beate; Kuřitka, Ivo; Vilčáková, Jarmila; Škoda, David; Urbánek, Pavel; Machovský, Michal; Masař, Milan; Urbánek, Michal
    CuxCo1-x Fe2O4 (x = 0.33,0.67,1)-reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanocomposites exhibiting highly efficient electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding were prepared by a melt-mixing approach using a microcompounder. Spinel ferrite Cu0.33Co0.67Fe2O4 (Cu-CoF1), Cu0.67Co0.33Fe2O4 (CuCoF2) and CuFe2O4 (CuF3) nanoparticles were synthesized using the sonochemical method. The CuCoF1 and CuCoF2 exhibited typical ferromagnetic features, whereas CuF3 displayed superparamagnetic characteristics. The maximum value of EMI total shielding effectiveness (SEt) was noticed to be 42.9 dB, 46.2 dB, and 58.8 dB for CuCoF1-rGO-TPU, CuCoF2-rGO-TPU, and CuF3-rGO-TPU nanocomposites, respectively, at a thickness of 1 mm. The highly efficient EMI shielding performance was attributed to the good impedance matching, conductive, dielectric, and magnetic loss. The demonstrated nanocomposites are promising candidates for a lightweight, flexible, and highly efficient EMI shielding material.
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    The Localization Behavior of Different CNTs in PC/SAN Blends Containing a Reactive Component
    (Basel : MDPI, 2021-3-1) Gültner, Marén; Boldt, Regine; Formanek, Petr; Fischer, Dieter; Simon, Frank; Pötschke, Petra
    Co-continuous blend systems of polycarbonate (PC), poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) (SAN), commercial non-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) or various types of commercial and laboratory functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), and a reactive component (RC, N-phenylmaleimide styrene maleic anhydride copolymer) were melt compounded in one step in a microcompounder. The blend system is immiscible, while the RC is miscible with SAN and contains maleic anhydride groups that have the potential to reactively couple with functional groups on the surface of the nanotubes. The influence of the RC on the localization of MWCNTs and SWCNTs (0.5 wt.%) was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy-filtered TEM. In PC/SAN blends without RC, MWCNTs are localized in the PC component. In contrast, in PC/SAN-RC, the MWCNTs localize in the SAN-RC component, depending on the RC concentration. By adjusting the MWCNT/RC ratio, the localization of the MWCNTs can be tuned. The SWCNTs behave differently compared to the MWCNTs in PC/SAN-RC blends and their localization occurs either only in the PC or in both blend components, depending on the type of the SWCNTs. CNT defect concentration and surface functionalities seem to be responsible for the localization differences.
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    Bidirectional and Stretchable Piezoresistive Sensors Enabled by Multimaterial 3D Printing of Carbon Nanotube/Thermoplastic Polyurethane Nanocomposites
    (Basel : MDPI, 2018-12-21) Christ, Josef F.; Aliheidari, Nahal; Pötschke, Petra; Ameli, Amir
    Fabricating complex sensor platforms is still a challenge because conventional sensors are discrete, directional, and often not integrated within the system at the material level. Here, we report a facile method to fabricate bidirectional strain sensors through the integration of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and multimaterial additive manufacturing. Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/MWCNT filaments were first made using a two-step extrusion process. TPU as the platform and TPU/MWCNT as the conducting traces were then 3D printed in tandem using multimaterial fused filament fabrication to generate uniaxial and biaxial sensors with several conductive pattern designs. The sensors were subjected to a series of cyclic strain loads. The results revealed excellent piezoresistive responses with cyclic repeatability in both the axial and transverse directions and in response to strains as high as 50%. It was shown that the directional sensitivity could be tailored by the type of pattern design. A wearable glove, with built-in sensors, capable of measuring finger flexure was also successfully demonstrated where the sensors are an integral part of the system. These sensors have potential applications in wearable electronics, soft robotics, and prosthetics, where complex design, multi-directionality, embedding, and customizability are demanded.
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    Thermoelectric Performance of Polypropylene/Carbon Nanotube/Ionic Liquid Composites and Its Dependence on Electron Beam Irradiation
    (Basel : MDPI, 2022-1-11) Voigt, Oliver; Krause, Beate; Pötschke, Petra; Müller, Michael T.; Wießner, Sven
    The thermoelectric behavior of polypropylene (PP) based nanocomposites containing single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and five kinds of ionic liquids (Ils) dependent on composite composition and electron beam irradiation (EB) was studied. Therefore, several samples were melt-mixed in a micro compounder, while five Ils with sufficiently different anions and/or cations were incorporated into the PP/SWCNT composites followed by an EB treatment for selected composites. Extensive investigations were carried out considering the electrical, thermal, mechanical, rheological, morphological and, most significantly, thermoelectric properties. It was found that it is possible to prepare n-type melt-mixed polymer composites from p-type commercial SWCNTs with relatively high Seebeck coefficients when adding four of the selected Ils. The highest Seebeck coefficients achieved in this study were +49.3 µV/K (PP/2 wt.% SWCNT) for p-type composites and −27.6 µV/K (PP/2 wt.% SWCNT/4 wt.% IL type AMIM Cl) for n-type composites. Generally, the type of IL is decisive whether p-or n-type thermoelectric behavior is achieved. After IL addition higher volume conductivity could be reached. Electron beam treatment of PP/SWCNT leads to increased values of the Seebeck coefficient, whereas the EB treated sample with IL (AMIM Cl) shows a less negative Seebeck coefficient value.
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    Effect of Graphite Nanoplate Morphology on the Dispersion and Physical Properties of Polycarbonate Based Composites
    (Basel : MDPI, 2017-5-18) Müller, Michael Thomas; Hilarius, Konrad; Liebscher, Marco; Lellinger, Dirk; Alig, Ingo; Pötschke, Petra
    The influence of the morphology of industrial graphite nanoplate (GNP) materials on their dispersion in polycarbonate (PC) is studied. Three GNP morphology types were identified, namely lamellar, fragmented or compact structure. The dispersion evolution of all GNP types in PC is similar with varying melt temperature, screw speed, or mixing time during melt mixing. Increased shear stress reduces the size of GNP primary structures, whereby the GNP aspect ratio decreases. A significant GNP exfoliation to individual or few graphene layers could not be achieved under the selected melt mixing conditions. The resulting GNP macrodispersion depends on the individual GNP morphology, particle sizes and bulk density and is clearly reflected in the composite's electrical, thermal, mechanical, and gas barrier properties. Based on a comparison with carbon nanotubes (CNT) and carbon black (CB), CNT are recommended in regard to electrical conductivity, whereas, for thermal conductive or gas barrier application, GNP is preferred.
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    Does the Type of Polymer and Carbon Nanotube Structure Control the Electromagnetic Shielding in Melt-Mixed Polymer Nanocomposites?
    (Basel : MDPI, 2020-1-15) Biswas, Sourav; Muzata, Tanyaradzwa S.; Krause, Beate; Rzeczkowski, Piotr; Pötschke, Petra; Bose, Suryasarathi
    A suitable polymer matrix and well dispersed conducting fillers forming an electrically conducting network are the prime requisites for modern age electromagnetic shield designing. An effective polymer-based shield material is designed that can attenuate 99.9% of incident electromagnetic (EM) radiation at a minimum thickness of <0.5 mm. This is accomplished by the choice of a suitable partially crystalline polymer matrix while comparing non-polar polypropylene (PP) with polar polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and a best suited filler nanomaterial by comparing different types of carbon nanotubes such as; branched, single-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, which were added in only 2 wt %. Different types of interactions (polar-polar and CH-π and donor-acceptor) make b-MWCNT more dispersible in the PVDF matrix, which together with high crystallinity resulted in the best electrical conductivity and electromagnetic shielding ability of this composite. This investigation additionally conceals the issues related to the thickness of the shield material just by stacking individual thin nanocomposite layers containing different carbon nanotube (CNT) types with 0.3 mm thickness in a simple manner and finally achieves 99.999% shielding efficiency at just 0.9 mm thickness when using a suitable order of the different PVDF based nanocomposites.
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    Screening of Different Carbon Nanotubes in Melt-Mixed Polymer Composites with Different Polymer Matrices for Their Thermoelectrical Properties
    (Basel : MDPI, 2019-12-7) Krause, Beate; Barbier, Carine; Levente, Juhasz; Klaus, Maxim; Pötschke, Petra
    The aim of this study is to reveal the influences of carbon nanotube (CNT) and polymer type as well as CNT content on electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient (S), and the resulting power factor (PF) and figure of merit (ZT). Different commercially available and laboratory made CNTs were used to prepare melt-mixed composites on a small scale. CNTs typically lead to p-type composites with positive S-values. This was found for the two types of multi-walled CNTs (MWCNT) whereby higher Seebeck coefficient in the corresponding buckypapers resulted in higher values also in the composites. Nitrogen doped MWCNTs resulted in negative S-values in the buckypapers as well as in the polymer composites. When using single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs) with a positive S-value in the buckypapers, positive (polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), and poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT)) or negative (polyamide 66 (PA66), polyamide 6 (PA6), partially aromatic polyamide (PARA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)) S-values were obtained depending on the matrix polymer and SWCNT type. The study shows that the direct production of n-type melt-mixed polymer composites from p-type commercial SWCNTs with relatively high Seebeck coefficients is possible. The highest Seebeck coefficients obtained in this study were 66.4 µV/K (PBT/7 wt % SWCNT Tuball) and −57.1 µV/K (ABS/0.5 wt % SWCNT Tuball) for p-and n-type composites, respectively. The highest power factor and ZT of 0.28 µW/m·K2 and 3.1 × 10−4, respectively, were achieved in PBT with 4 wt % SWCNT Tuball.
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    Electrically Conductive Polyetheretherketone Nanocomposite Filaments: From Production to Fused Deposition Modeling
    (Basel : MDPI, 2018-8-18) Gonçalves, Jordana; Lima, Patrícia; Krause, Beate; Pötschke, Petra; Lafont, Ugo; Gomes, José R.; Abreu, Cristiano S.; Paiva, Maria C.; Covas, José A.
    The present work reports the production and characterization of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) nanocomposite filaments incorporating carbon nanotubes (CNT) and graphite nanoplates (GnP), electrically conductive and suitable for fused deposition modeling (FDM) processing. The nanocomposites were manufactured by melt mixing and those presenting electrical conductivity near 10 S/m were selected for the production of filaments for FDM. The extruded filaments were characterized for mechanical and thermal conductivity, polymer crystallinity, thermal relaxation, nanoparticle dispersion, thermoelectric effect, and coefficient of friction. They presented electrical conductivity in the range of 1.5 to 13.1 S/m, as well as good mechanical performance and higher thermal conductivity compared to PEEK. The addition of GnP improved the composites' melt processability, maintained the electrical conductivity at target level, and reduced the coefficient of friction by up to 60%. Finally, three-dimensional (3D) printed test specimens were produced, showing a Young's modulus and ultimate tensile strength comparable to those of the filaments, but a lower strain at break and electrical conductivity. This was attributed to the presence of large voids in the part, revealing the need for 3D printing parameter optimization. Finally, filament production was up-scaled to kilogram scale maintaining the properties of the research-scale filaments.
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    Fe3O4 Nanoparticles Grown on Cellulose/GO Hydrogels as Advanced Catalytic Materials for the Heterogeneous Fenton-like Reaction
    (Washington, DC : ACS Publications, 2019) Chen, Yian; Pötschke, Petra; Pionteck, Jürgen; Voit, Brigitte; Qi, Haisong
    Cellulose/graphene oxide (GO)/iron oxide (Fe3O4) composites were prepared by coprecipitating iron salts onto cellulose/GO hydrogels in a basic solution. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier-transform infrared, and X-ray diffraction characterization showed that Fe3O4 was successfully coated on GO sheets and cellulose. Cellulose/GO/Fe3O4 composites showed excellent catalytic activity by maintaining almost 98% of the removal of acid orange 7 (AO7) and showed stability over 20 consecutive cycles. This performance is attributable to the synergistic effect of Fe3O4 and GO during the heterogeneous Fenton-like reaction. Especially, the cellulose/GO/Fe3O4 composites preserve their activity by keeping the ratio of Fe3+/Fe2+ at 2 even after 20 catalysis cycles, which is supported by XPS analysis.
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    Bio-inspired deposition of electrochemically exfoliated graphene layers for electrical resistance heating applications
    (Bristol : IOP Publishing, 2020-12-4) Utech, Toni; Pötschke, Petra; Simon, Frank; Janke, Andreas; Kettner, Hannes; Paiva, Maria; Zimmerer, Cordelia
    Electrochemically exfoliated graphene (eeG) layers possess a variety of potential applications, e.g. as susceptor material for contactless induction heating in dynamic electro-magnetic fields, and as flexible and transparent electrode or resistivity heating elements. Spray coating of eeG dispersions was investigated in detail as a simple and fast method to deposit both, thin conducting layers and ring structures on polycarbonate substrates. The spray coating process was examined by systematic variation of dispersion concentration and volume applied to heated substrates. Properties of the obtained layers were characterized by UV-VIS spectroscopy, SEM and Confocal Scanning Microscopy. Electrical conductivity of eeG ring structures was measured using micro-four-point measurements. Modification of eeG with poly(dopamine) and post-thermal treatment yields in the reduction of the oxidized graphene proportion, an increase in electrical conductivity, and mechanical stabilization of the deposited thin layers. The chemical composition of modified eeG layer was analyzed via x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy pointing to the reductive behavior of poly(dopamine). Application oriented experiments demonstrate the direct electric current heating (Joule-Heating) effect of spray-coated eeG layers.