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Completed TRL 3 (started at 2, targeting 3)
The addition of two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials into polymers has proven to tailor their properties such as thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, and mechanical strength. 2D materials, such as Boron Nitride Nanoplatelets (BNNP) and Graphene Nanoplatelets (GNP), are especially suitable as reinforcement due to their outstanding specific surface area, which contributes to a strong interaction with the polymer matrix. A significant challenge with nano-sized 2D fillers is their agglomeration, which has detrimental effects on the nanocomposite properties by limiting the interfacial structure between the filler and polymer matrices. Freeze-Drying (FD) is a fabrication technique that overcomes agglomeration challenges by assembling nanomaterials into rigid free-standing three-dimensional (3D) architectures or foams. The high surface area of 2D materials facilitates the construction of networks that provide effective phonon and mechanical stress transfer. It is hypothesized that the integration of one-dimensional (1D) materials, such as Boron Nitride Nanotubes (BNNT) and Carbon Nanotubes (CNT), into 2D material-polymer nanocomposites, will provide additional stress and phonon transfer conduits. The proposed research aims to engineer hybrid 2D/1D material foam-polymer composites with enhanced thermal properties while exhibiting low density and high mechanical strength via FD fabrication. 2D materials, such as BNNP and GNP, will be integrated into polymers, such as Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and Epoxy. Adding 1D materials, such as BNNT and CNT, into these structures is expected to enhance mechanical and thermal properties further. An analytical framework that dictates mechanical and thermal properties of polymer nanocomposites in terms of composition, processing parameters, and microstructure will be developed. This framework will incorporate thermodynamic relations to describe processing factors effect on the 2D foam architecture. Multi-length scale mechanical characterization and stress modeling at the node-branch of the nanocomposites will elucidate load transfer and failure mechanisms. Thermal characterization and modeling will determine the influence of the microstructure on phonon transport.
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