1 Part A – Nanoscale Technology
This section of the report will contain a detailed description of composite materials and nanoscale technology. An investigation will then be carried out on the use of nanoscale technology in composite materials, focusing on the approaches used for incorporating graphene into composite materials and what effect it has on the final product.
1.1 What are Composite Materials
Composite materials are simply materials created by combining two or more materials with different properties to produce a final material with unique qualities. The materials are not blended or dissolved together they remain separate in the final composite structure. Composite materials can be fabricated to have specific characteristics depending
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Nanomaterials are typically categorised as materials which have structured components with at least one dimension less than 100nm. Nanotechnologies include the construction and/or manipulation of materials at the scale of nanometre (nm). One nanometre is one millionth of a millimetre. To give an example of just how small the nanoscale is, one human hair is roughly 70,000 nm in diameter.
There is four main classifications of nanomaterials and they are classified based on the number of dimensions of the material, which are greater than the nanoscale range. The classifications are as follows:
• Zero-dimensional (0D) – zero-dimensional nanomaterials are materials which all dimensions are within the nanoscale. Generally, 0D nanomaterials are nanoparticles.
• One-dimensional (1D) – one dimensional nanomaterials consist of one dimension greater than the nanoscale. For example, nanotubes, nanorods, and nanowires are part of this group.
• Two-dimensional (2D) – two dimensions are beyond the nanoscale. This class contains plate-like shapes and includes, nanofilms, nanolayers, graphene, and
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Graphene is a two-dimensional matrix of carbon atoms, arranged in a honeycomb lattice structure. Graphene has incredible strength to weight ratio, according to (Graphene Composites: Introduction And Market Status | Graphene-Info, 2017), “a single square-meter sheet of graphene would weigh just 0.0077 grams but could easily sustain up to four kilograms”. Graphene has a variety of amazing qualities a few examples are, it has a large surface area and great electrical and heat conductivity. (Graphene Composites: Introduction And Market Status | Graphene-Info, 2017) also states that “scientists and researchers are calling graphene “a miracle material” and expect it to revolutionize just about every industry known to
Carbon is one of the 115 chemical elements discovered on Earth which is part of the nonmetals group with other elements such as nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen. Carbon as an element has good stability, it is very light, very stable, and has many types of forms such as graphite, and coal. Carbon fiber is just another form of carbon, basically has filaments between five to ten micrometers in diameter of pure carbon or at least 90% of carbon. Thousand carbon fibers are twisted together to form a long chain, which can then be used in a variety of raw forms, including yarns, weaves, and braids, which are in turn mixed with synthetic resins to create the carbon fiber as a composite material. Based on different characteristics carbon fibers can be divided into three principals groups: according to carbon fiber tensile modulus, according to precursor fiber materials, and according to final heat
The raw Carbon Nanotubes recovered from this process can be directly incorporated in composites or rubber tires which increases the tensile strength and that is a direct application (NAIR & (IN), 2012)
The burning of the materials is a complex process. Combustion of any material requires three components: heat, oxygen and combusting material or fuel. When heat is applied to the composites materials, temperature of the materials increases. At particular temperature, pyrolysis temperature, materials start to decompose, and produce
“dwarf”. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter and when we speak of nanotechnology we are
Current collectors are made of graphitic materials due to its good conduction. GDL gas diffusion layers are made of carbon paper, which has low electronic resistance in order to provide maximum electronic contact and prevent water flooding. Bipolar plates are made of either graphite sot thermosets materials. [Lister & McLean ]
Dental composites are widely used for crown preparation and in-lays formation. These materials are similar to those used in direct fillings and are tooth-colored. Their strength and durability is not as high as porcelain or metal restorations and they are more
Nanotechnology is defined as the science of design, synthesis and characterization of matter at the nanoscale, which mesures one billionth of the meter [1,2] On that scale, structures exhibit novel chemical, physical and biological properties and processes, which enables the creation of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), with various characteristics and potential applications. [3] It’s not just that though. Nanotechnology shows the ability to eliminate the gaps among medicine, material engineering and science, computer technology and public policy, creating new clinical and medical approaches to better diagnose, treat and prevent any kind of illness. In fact, it is already moving from simple passive structures
Roberts, A. (2011, March). Nanotechnology: The incredible invisible world, Technology & Engineering Teacher, 70 (6) p10-17
By using strong oxidizing agent, oxygenated functionalities are introduced in the graphite structure which not only expand the layer separation, but also makes the material hydrophilic. Hydrophilic mean that they can be dispersed in water. This properties has enable graphite oxide to be exfoliated in water by using sonification, ultimately producing single and few layer of graphene that has been known as graphene oxide. The properties of graphene oxide is its easy dispersability in water and other organic solvents, as well as in the different matrixes due to the presence of the oxygen functionality (Jesus de La Fuente., 2011).
Nanotechnology is the manipulation of structures at nano levels. It uses incredibly small materials, devices, and systems to manipulate matter. These structures are measured in nanometers, or one billionth of a meter, and can be used by themselves or as part of larg...
Nanotechnology, shortened to "nanotech", is the study of the control of matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Nano science and nanotechnology are recent, revolutionary development in Science and Engineering that are evolving at a very fast pace.[1,2] It is driven by the desire to fabricate materials with novel and improved properties that is likely to impact virtually all areas of the physical and chemical sciences, biological sciences and health sciences. The word ‘nano’ derives from the Greek word ‘nanos’, which means dwarf or extremely small and mathematically, a nanometer is a billionth of a meter or 10-9 m. Particles whose sizes fall in the size range of 1-100 nm is called a nano particles, whether it is dispersed in gaseous, liquid or solid medium. Generally nanotechnology deals with structures of the size 100 nanometers or smaller, and involves developing materials or devices within that size. Nanotechnology is very diverse, ranging from extensions of conventional device physics, to completely new approaches based upon molecular self-assembly, to developing new materials wi...
24. Ujjal Kumar Sur, “Graphene: A Rising Star on the Horizon of Materials Science,” International Journal of Electrochemistry, vol. 2012, Article ID 237689, 12 pages, 2012. doi:10.1155/2012/237689
Alford, Terry L., L. C. Feldman, and James W. Mayer. Fundamentals of Nanoscale Film Analysis. New York: Springer, 2007. Print.
Expo 2020 in Dubai, is set to be a very impactful event that will bring minds together to find solutions to global issues. The miraculous multi-functional material graphene will surely be featured in this world fair and it will definitely play a huge role in the future of not only the UAE, but also the entire world.
Figure 1: Image of the nanoscale, this illustration shows how small things at the nanoscale really are (nano.gov, 2013).