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- ItemGraphite modified epoxy-based adhesive for joining of aluminium and PP/graphite composites(New York, NY [u.a.] : Taylor & Francis, 2020) Rzeczkowski, P.; Pötschke, Petra; Fischer, M.; Kühnert, I.; Krause, BeateA graphite-modified adhesive was developed in order to simultaneously enhance the thermal conductivity and the strength of an adhesive joint. The thermal conductivity through the joint was investigated by using highly filled PP/graphite composite substrates, which were joined with an epoxy adhesive of different layer thicknesses. Similar measurements were carried out with a constant adhesive layer thickness, whilst applying an epoxy adhesive modified with expanded graphite (EG) (6, 10, and 20 wt%). By reducing the adhesive layer thickness or modifying the adhesive with conductive fillers, a significant increase of the thermal conductivity through the joint was achieved. The examination of the mechanical properties of the modified adhesives was carried out by tensile tests (adhesive only), lap-shear tests, and fracture energy tests (mode 1) with aluminium substrates. Modification of the adhesive with EG led to an increase of the tensile lap-shear strength and the adhesive fracture energy (mode 1) of the joint. In addition, burst pressure tests were performed to determine the strength of the joint in a complex component. The strength of the joint increased with the graphite content in the PP substrate and in the epoxy adhesive.
- ItemStatistical Analysis of Mechanical Stressing in Short Fiber Reinforced Composites by Means of Statistical and Representative Volume Elements(Basel : MDPI, 2021) Breuer, Kevin; Spickenheuer, Axel; Stommel, MarkusAnalyzing representative volume elements with the finite element method is one method to calculate the local stress at the microscale of short fiber reinforced plastics. It can be shown with Monte-Carlo simulations that the stress distribution depends on the local arrangement of the fibers and is therefore unique for each fiber constellation. In this contribution the stress distribution and the effective composite properties are examined as a function of the considered volume of the representative volume elements. Moreover, the influence of locally varying fiber volume fraction is examined, using statistical volume elements. The results show that the average stress probability distribution is independent of the number of fibers and independent of local fluctuation of the fiber volume fraction. Furthermore, it is derived from the stress distributions that the statistical deviation of the effective composite properties should not be neglected in the case of injection molded components. A finite element analysis indicates that the macroscopic stresses and strains on component level are significantly influenced by local, statistical fluctuation of the composite properties.
- ItemElectrical and melt rheological characterization of PC and co-continuous PC/SAN blends filled with CNTs: Relationship between melt-mixing parameters, filler dispersion, and filler aspect ratio(Hoboken, NJ [u.a.] : Wiley, 2018) Liebscher, Marco; Domurath, Jan; Krause, Beate; Saphiannikova, Marina; Heinrich, Gert; Pötschke, PetraElectrical and melt rheological properties of melt-mixed polycarbonate (PC) and co-continuous PC/poly(styrene–acrylonitrile) (SAN) blends with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are investigated. Using two sets of mixing parameters, different states of filler dispersion are obtained. With increasing CNT dispersion, an increase in electrical resistivity near the percolation threshold of PC–CNT composites and (PC + CNT)/SAN blends is observed. This suggests that the higher mixing energies required for better dispersion also result in a more severe reduction of the CNT aspect ratio; this effect was proven by CNT length measurements. Melt rheological studies show higher reinforcing effects for composites with worse dispersion. The Eilers equation, describing the melt viscosity as function of filler content, was used to fit the data and to obtain information about an apparent aspect ratio change, which was in accordance with measured CNT length reduction. Such fitting could be also transferred to the blends and serves for a qualitatively based discussion. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals
- ItemActive Plasmonic Colloid-to-Film-Coupled Cavities for Tailored Light-Matter Interactions(Washington, DC : Soc., 2019) Goßler, Fabian R.; Steiner, Anja Maria; Stroyuk, Oleksandr; Raevskaya, Alexandra; König, Tobias A.F.For large-scale fabrication of optical circuits, tailored subwavelength structures are required to modulate the refractive index. Here, we introduce a colloid-to-film-coupled nanocavity whose refractive index can be tailored by various materials, shapes, and cavity volumes. With this colloidal nanocavity setup, the refractive index can be adjusted over a wide visible wavelength range. For many nanophotonic applications, specific values for the extinction coefficient are crucial to achieve optical loss and gain. We employed bottom-up self-assembly techniques to sandwich optically active ternary metal-chalcogenides between a metallic mirror and plasmonic colloids. The spectral overlap between the cavity resonance and the broadband emitter makes it possible to study the tunable radiative properties statistically. For flat cavity geometries of silver nanocubes with sub-10 nm metallic gap, we found a fluorescence enhancement factor beyond 1000 for 100 cavities and a 112 meV Rabi splitting. In addition, we used gold spheres to extend the refractive index range. By this easily scalable colloidal nanocavity setup, gain and loss building blocks are now available, thereby leading to new generation of optical devices. Copyright © 2019 American Chemical Society.
- ItemOn the anomalous optical conductivity dispersion of electrically conducting polymers: Ultra-wide spectral range ellipsometry combined with a Drude-Lorentz model(London [u.a.] : RSC, 2019) Chen, Shangzhi; Kühne, Philipp; Stanishev, Vallery; Knight, Sean; Brooke, Robert; Petsagkourakis, Ioannis; Crispin, Xavier; Schubert, Mathias; Darakchieva, Vanya; Jonsson, Magnus P.Electrically conducting polymers (ECPs) are becoming increasingly important in areas such as optoelectronics, biomedical devices, and energy systems. Still, their detailed charge transport properties produce an anomalous optical conductivity dispersion that is not yet fully understood in terms of physical model equations for the broad range optical response. Several modifications to the classical Drude model have been proposed to account for a strong non-Drude behavior from terahertz (THz) to infrared (IR) ranges, typically by implementing negative amplitude oscillator functions to the model dielectric function that effectively reduce the conductivity in those ranges. Here we present an alternative description that modifies the Drude model via addition of positive-amplitude Lorentz oscillator functions. We evaluate this so-called Drude-Lorentz (DL) model based on the first ultra-wide spectral range ellipsometry study of ECPs, spanning over four orders of magnitude: from 0.41 meV in the THz range to 5.90 eV in the ultraviolet range, using thin films of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):tosylate (PEDOT:Tos) as a model system. The model could accurately fit the experimental data in the whole ultrawide spectral range and provide the complex anisotropic optical conductivity of the material. Examining the resonance frequencies and widths of the Lorentz oscillators reveals that both spectrally narrow vibrational resonances and broader resonances due to localization processes contribute significantly to the deviation from the Drude optical conductivity dispersion. As verified by independent electrical measurements, the DL model accurately determines the electrical properties of the thin film, including DC conductivity, charge density, and (anisotropic) mobility. The ellipsometric method combined with the DL model may thereby become an effective and reliable tool in determining both optical and electrical properties of ECPs, indicating its future potential as a contact-free alternative to traditional electrical characterization. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2019.
- ItemPolymer Featuring Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence as Emitter in Light-Emitting Electrochemical Cells(Washington, DC : ACS, 2020) Lundberg, Lundberg; Wei, Qiang; Ge, Ziyi; Voit, Brigitte; Reineke, Sebastian; Edman, LudvigSemiconducting polymers that feature thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) can deliver a much desired combination of high-efficiency and metal-free electroluminescence and cost-efficient solution-based fabrication. A TADF polymer is thus a very good fit for the emitting compound in light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) because the commonly employed air-stabile and few-layer LEC architecture is well suited for such solution-based fabrication. Herein we report on the first LEC device based on a TADF polymer as the emitting species, which delivers a luminance of 96 cd m-2 at 4 V and a current efficacy of 1.4 cd A-1 and >600 cd m-2 at 6 V, which is competitive with the performance of multilayer organic light-emitting diodes based on the same TADF polymer. We further utilize the established sensitivity of the emission of the TADF polymer to its environment to draw conclusions on the exciton populations in host-guest and host-free TADF LEC devices. Copyright © 2020 American Chemical Society.
- ItemControlling line defects in wrinkling: a pathway towards hierarchical wrinkling structures(London : Royal Soc. of Chemistry, 2021) Knapp, André; Nebel, Lisa Julia; Nitschke, Mirko; Sander, Oliver; Fery, AndreasWe demonstrate a novel approach for controlling the line defect formation in microscopic wrinkling structures by patterned plasma treatment of elastomeric surfaces. Wrinkles were formed on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surfaces exposed to low-pressure plasma under uniaxial stretching and subsequent relaxation. The wrinkling wavelength λ can be regulated via the treatment time and choice of plasma process gases (H2, N2). Sequential masking allows for changing these parameters on micron-scale dimensions. Thus, abrupt changes of the wrinkling wavelength become feasible and result in line defects located at the boundary zone between areas of different wavelengths. Wavelengths, morphology, and mechanical properties of the respective areas are investigated by Atomic Force Microscopy and agree quantitatively with predictions of analytical models for wrinkle formation. Notably, the approach allows for the first time the realization of a dramatic wavelength change up to a factor of 7 to control the location of the branching zone. This allows structures with a fixed but also with a strictly alternating branching behavior. The morphology inside the branching zone is compared with finite element methods and shows semi-quantitative agreement. Thus our finding opens new perspectives for “programming” hierarchical wrinkling patterns with potential applications in optics, tribology, and biomimetic structuring of surfaces.
- ItemInvestigation of transcrystalline interphases in polypropylene/glass fiber composites using micromechanical tests(Basel : MDPI, 2018) Brodowsky, Hanna; Mäder, EdithIn composites, a strong interphase between the components is essential for mechanical properties. By using a suitable sizing (i.e., surface modification) of the fiber, the interphase may be varied, e.g., by suppressing or promoting heterogeneous nucleation of a thermoplastic matrix. In the latter case, three-dimensional transcrystallized interphases with properties differing from those of the bulk matrix are formed. Polypropylene-glass fiber composites are prepared as single-fiber model composites with (a) sizings either inducing or suppressing a transcrystalline interphase, (b) different amounts of modifier maleic acid anhydride grafted polypropylene, and (c) different molecular weights of the matrix polymer. These are studied in quasi-static or cyclic load tests. Static tests permit insights in the interfacial characteristics such as critical interface energy release rate, adhesion strength and frictional stress. Cyclic tests on these model composites can be used to study the nature of dissipative processes and the damage behavior. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) investigations of the fiber fracture surfaces provide supplementary information. The transcrystalline layer can indeed improve the mechanical parameters (a 70–100% increase of strength and a 25 or 125% increase in toughness, depending on the molecular weight (MW) of the matrix polymer at low modifier concentration). However, the effect is partially neutralized by an opposing effect: high nucleation in the bulk in samples with commonly used concentrations of modifier.
- ItemInfluence of talc with different particle sizes in melt-mixed LLDPE/MWCNT composites(Hoboken, NJ [u.a.] : Wiley, 2013) Müller, Michael Thomas; Dreyße, Janine; Häußler, Liane; Krause, Beate; Pötschke, PetraLinear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) was melt-mixed with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and varying amounts of three different kinds of talc (phyllo silicate), each with a different particle size distribution, to examine the effect of these filler combinations with regards to the electrical percolation behavior. The state of the filler dispersion was assessed using transmission light microscopy and electron microscopy. The use of talc as a second filler during the melt mixing of LLDPE/MWCNT composites resulted in an improvement in the dispersion of the MWCNTs and a decrease of the electrical percolation threshold. Talc with lower particle sizes showed a more pronounced effect than talc with larger particle sizes. However, the improvement in dispersion was not reflected in the mechanical properties. Modulus and stress values increase with both, MWCNT and talc addition, but not in a synergistic manner. The crystallization behavior of the composites was studied by differential scanning calorimetry to determine its potential influence on the electrical percolation threshold. It was found that the crystallinity of the matrix increased slightly with the addition of talc but no further increments were observed with the incorporation of the MWCNTs. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
- ItemTopology Counts: Force Distributions in Circular Spring Networks(College Park, Md. : APS, 2018) Heidemann, Knut M.; Sageman-Furnas, Andrew O.; Sharma, Abhinav; Rehfeldt, Florian; Schmidt, Christoph F.; Wardetzky, MaxFilamentous polymer networks govern the mechanical properties of many biological materials. Force distributions within these networks are typically highly inhomogeneous, and, although the importance of force distributions for structural properties is well recognized, they are far from being understood quantitatively. Using a combination of probabilistic and graph-theoretical techniques, we derive force distributions in a model system consisting of ensembles of random linear spring networks on a circle. We show that characteristic quantities, such as the mean and variance of the force supported by individual springs, can be derived explicitly in terms of only two parameters: (i) average connectivity and (ii) number of nodes. Our analysis shows that a classical mean-field approach fails to capture these characteristic quantities correctly. In contrast, we demonstrate that network topology is a crucial determinant of force distributions in an elastic spring network. Our results for 1D linear spring networks readily generalize to arbitrary dimensions.