Characterising a Custom-Built Radio Frequency PECVD Reactor to Vary the Mechanical Properties of TMDSO Films.

Plasma-polymerised tetramethyldisiloxane (TMDSO) films are frequently applied as coatings for their abrasion resistance and barrier properties. By manipulating the deposition parameters, the chemical structure and thus mechanical properties of the films can also be controlled. These mechanical properties make them attractive as energy adsorbing layers for a range of applications, including carbon fibre composites. In this study, a new radio frequency (RF) plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) plasma reactor was designed with the capability to coat fibres with an energy adsorbing film. A key characterisation step for the system was establishing how the properties of the TMDSO films could be modified and compared with those deposited using a well-characterized microwave (MW) PECVD reactor. Film thickness and chemistry were determined with ellipsometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. The mechanical properties were investigated by nanoindentation and atomic force microscopy with peak-force quantitative nanomechanical mapping. The RF PECVD films had a greater range of Young's modulus and hardness values than the MW PECVD films, with values as high as 56.4 GPa and 7.5 GPa, respectively. These results demonstrated the varied properties of TMDSO films that could in turn be deposited onto carbon fibres using a custom-built RF PECVD reactor.

Individual dispersion of carbon nanotubes in epoxy via a novel dispersion-curing approach using ionic liquids.

The effective dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in a thermoset was achieved using ionic liquid as the dispersion-curing agent. We preferentially dispersed multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) down to individual tube levels in epoxy resin. Here the dispersion is ruled by the depletion of physical bundles within the MWCNT networks, for which molecular ordering of ionic liquids is considered responsible. The quantitative analyses using ultra small angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) confirmed the dispersion of individual MWCNTs in the matrix. The distance between the dispersed nanotubes was calculated at different nanotube loadings using the power law fitting of the USAXS data. The fine dispersion and subsequent curing, both controlled by ionic liquid, lead to composites with substantially enhanced fracture mechanical and thermomechanical properties with no reduction in thermal properties. Merging processing techniques of nanocomposites with ionic liquid for efficient dispersion of nanotubes and preferential curing of thermosets facilitates the development of new, high performance materials.

Methyl 3-[4-(4-nitro-benz-yloxy)phen-yl]propano-ate.

The title compound, C(17)H(17)NO(5), crystallizes with two mol-ecules (A and B) in the asymmetric unit. The conformational structures of the two mol-ecules show small but significant differences in the dihedral angles between the two aryl rings with values of 18.8 (1)° for mol-ecule A and 7.5 (1)° for mol-ecule B. In mol-ecule A, the propano-ate group is twisted out of the plane of the benzene group [C(ar)-C(ar)-C-C torsion angle = -44.9 (2)°], while for mol-ecule B, this group lies closer to the plane [C(ar)-C(ar)-C-C torsion angle = 8.6 (3)°]. C-H⋯O inter-actions characterize the crystal-packing inter-actions in this compound.

Enhanced permanganate chemiluminescence.

The significant enhancement of acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence by Mn(II) results from the concomitant presence of permanganate and Mn(III) in the reagent solution, which enables rapid production of the excited Mn(II) emitter with a wide range of analytes. Furthermore, the key Mn(III) co-reactant can be quickly generated by reducing permanganate with sodium thiosulfate, instead of the slow (~24 h) equilibration required when Mn(ii) is used. The emission from reactions with analytes such as tyrosine and fenoterol was over two orders of magnitude more intense than with the traditional permanganate reagent.

Influence of Different Nanocellulose Additives on Processing and Performance of PAN-Based Carbon Fibers.

Nanocellulose, as a biobased versatile nanomaterial that can be derived with tailorable surface functionalities, dimensions, and morphologies, has considerable implications for modifying the rheology, mechanical reinforcement, and influencing the carbonization efficiency in the production of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fibers. Herein, we report the influence of three different nanocellulose types, varying in the derivatization method, source, and aspect ratio, on the mechanical properties and thermal transformations of solution-spun PAN/nanocellulose nanocomposite fibers into carbon fibers. The incorporation of 0.1 wt % nanocellulose into solution-spun PAN fibers led to a 7-19% increase in tensile modulus and 0-27% increase in tensile strength in the solution-spun fibers, compared to a control PAN fiber. These improvements varied depending on the nanocellulose type. After low-temperature carbonization at 1200 °C, improvements in the mechanical properties of the nanocellulose-reinforced carbon fibers, compared with a PAN fiber, were also observed. In contrast to the precursor fibers, the improvement % in the carbonized fibers was found to be dependent on the nanocellulose morphology and was linearly correlated with increasing aspect ratio of nanocellulose. For example, in carbon fibers with a cotton-derived low-aspect-ratio cellulose nanocrystal and spinifex-derived high-aspect-ratio CNC and nanofiber, up to 4, 87, and 172% improvements in tensile moduli were observed, respectively. Due to the processing methods used, the nanocellulose aspect ratio and crystallinity are inversely related, and as such, the increase in the carbon fiber mechanical properties was also related to a decrease in crystallinity of the nanocellulose reinforcers. Raman spectra and electron microscopy analysis suggest that mechanical improvement after carbonization is due to internal reinforcement by highly ordered regions surrounding the carbonized nanocellulose, within the turbostratic carbon fibers.

Graphene based room temperature flexible nanocomposites from permanently cross-linked networks.

Graphene based room temperature flexible nanocomposites were prepared using epoxy thermosets for the first time. Flexible behavior was induced into the epoxy thermosets by introducing charge transfer complexes between functional groups within cross linked epoxy and room temperature ionic liquid ions. The graphene nanoplatelets were found to be highly dispersed in the epoxy matrix due to ionic liquid cation-π interactions. It was observed that incorporation of small amounts of graphene into the epoxy matrix significantly enhanced the mechanical properties of the epoxy. In particular, a 0.6 wt% addition increased the tensile strength and Young's modulus by 125% and 21% respectively. The electrical resistance of nanocomposites was found to be increased with graphene loading indicating the level of self-organization between the ILs and the graphene sheets in the matrix of the composite. The graphene nanocomposites were flexible and behave like ductile thermoplastics at room temperature. This study demonstrates the use of ionic liquid as a compatible agent to induce flexibility in inherently brittle thermoset materials and improve the dispersion of graphene to create high performance nanocomposite materials.

Overcoming interfacial affinity issues in natural fiber reinforced polylactide biocomposites by surface adsorption of amphiphilic block copolymers.

This work demonstrates that the interfacial properties in a natural fiber reinforced polylactide bio-composite can be tailored through surface adsorption of amphiphilic and biodegradable poly (ethylene glycol)-b-poly(l-lactide) (PEG-PLLA) block copolymers. The deposition from solvent solution of PEG-PLLA copolymers onto the fibrous substrate induced distinct mechanisms of molecular organization at the cellulosic interface, which are correlated to the hydrophobic/hydrophilic ratios and the type of solvent used. The findings of the study evidenced that the performance of the corresponding biocomposites with polylactide were effectively enhanced by using these copolymers as interfacial coupling agents. During the fabrication stage, diffusion of the polylactide in the melt induced a change in the environment surrounding block copolymers which became hydrophobic. It is proposed that molecular reorganization of the block copolymers at the interface occurred, which favored the interactions with both the hydrophilic fibers and hydrophobic polylactide matrix. The strong interactions such as intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds formed across the fiber-matrix interface can be accounted for the enhancement in properties displayed by the biocomposites. Although the results reported here are confined, this concept is unique as it shows that by tuning the amphiphilicity and the type of building blocks, it is possible to control the surface properties of the substrate by self-assembly and disassembly of the amphiphiles for functional materials.