Hierarchically microstructured tri-axial poly(vinyl alcohol)/graphene nanoplatelet (PVA/GNP) composite fibers were fabricated using a dry-jet wet spinning technique. The composites with distinct PVA/GNPs/PVA phases led to highly oriented and evenly distributed graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) as a result of molecular chain-assisted interfacial exfoliation. With a concentration of 3.3 wt% continuously aligned GNPs, the composite achieved a ∼73.5% increase in Young's modulus (∼38 GPa), as compared to the pure PVA fiber, and an electrical conductivity of ∼0.38 S m −1 , one of the best mechanical/electrical properties reported for polymer/GNP nanocomposite fibers. This study has broader impacts on textile engineering, wearable robotics, smart sensors, and optoelectronic devices.
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Uncovering the thermal conductivity of graphene nanoplatelet composites with interlayers using a Monte Carlo model
This paper uses a Monte Carlo method to study the thermal conductivity of graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) composites. Firstly, a large number of GNPs are randomly set in a representative volume element. Then, based on a temperature satisfying the Laplace equation in a matrix, a coated surface (CS) is set up on each GNP surface, and the temperature of the CS and GNP can be obtained by the walk-on-spheres (WoS) method. Finally, the WoS method continues to be applied to calculate the heat flux density of the composite materials, further obtaining the thermal conductivity of the composites. We add the influence of interlayers in random walks. We incorporate the influence of interlayers in the WoS process, and the points that walk onto the interlayer surface have a very low probability of reaching the GNP due to the extremely low thermal conductivity of the interlayer. The calculated results are consistent with the experimental data. The model also studies the effects of the size, orientation, and aggregation of GNPs on the thermal conductivity of composite materials.
more » « less- PAR ID:
- 10541505
- Publisher / Repository:
- IOP Publishing
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics
- Volume:
- 57
- Issue:
- 49
- ISSN:
- 0022-3727
- Format(s):
- Medium: X Size: Article No. 495303
- Size(s):
- Article No. 495303
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Mechanical and thermal stability are the two challenging aspects of thermoelectric compounds and modules. Microcrack formation during material synthesis and mechanical failure under thermo‐mechanical loading is commonly observed in thermoelectric materials made from brittle semiconductors. Herein, the results of graphene‐nanoplates (GNPs) reinforcement on the mechanical and thermoelectric properties of MnTe compound are reported. The binary antiferromagnetic MnTe shown promising thermoelectric characteristics due to the paramagnon–hole drag above the Néel temperature. In this study, different bulk MnTe samples are synthesized with the addition of GNPs in a small quantity (0.25–1 wt%) by powder metallurgy and spark plasma sintering. The thermoelectric factors, magnetic behavior, microstructure, and mechanical properties of the samples are evaluated and analyzed. Nearly 33% improvement is observed in the fracture toughness of MnTe reinforced with 0.25 wt% GNPs compared to the pristine structure. The Néel temperature remains approximately unaffected with the GNP inclusion; however, the low‐temperature ferromagnetic phase impurity is significantly suppressed. The thermal conductivity and power factor decrease almost equally by ≈34% at 600 K; hence, the thermoelectric figure‐of‐merit is not affected by GNP reinforcement in the optimized sample.
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Abstract Lightweight and elastically deformable soft materials that are thermally conductive are critical for emerging applications in wearable computing, soft robotics, and thermoregulatory garments. To overcome the fundamental heat transport limitations in soft materials, room temperature liquid metal (LM) has been dispersed in elastomer that results in soft and deformable materials with unprecedented thermal conductivity. However, the high density of LMs (>6 g cm−3) and the typically high loading (⩾85 wt%) required to achieve the desired properties contribute to the high density of these elastomer composites, which can be problematic for large‐area, weight‐sensitive applications. Here, the relationship between the properties of the LM filler and elastomer composite is systematically studied. Experiments reveal that a multiphase LM inclusion with a low‐density phase can achieve independent control of the density and thermal conductivity of the elastomer composite. Quantitative design maps of composite density and thermal conductivity are constructed to rationally guide the selection of filler properties and material composition. This new multiphase material architecture provides a method to fine‐tune material composition to independently control material and functional properties of soft materials for large‐area and weight‐sensitive applications.
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