Alternate Composite Team: Feasibility study of Graphene for structural component applications
Faculty Mentor Name
Wahyu Lestari
Format Preference
Poster Presentation and Demonstration
Abstract
Graphene is a newly discovered material with a variety of industrial applications from composites to electrical systems. Due to its high Young’s modulus (2.0 ± 0.5 TPa) and electrical conductivity (106 S/cm), graphene-infused composites can serve as an alternative for several mainstream materials. Graphene infused composites could decrease aircraft weight, reduce lightning strike damage, increase the sensitivity of sensors, and improve the response time of electronics. In this study, graphene in the form of graphene oxide was used to fabricate the epoxy and fiber reinforced composites. The epoxy and fiberglass composites were made with and without graphene, and analyzed for their material properties. The results of the fiberglass tensile tests showed an improvement of 8.72 % in Young’s modulus due to the presence of the graphene. The composites were then examined under both an optical microscope and a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM ) to study the bonding of graphene within the epoxy and fibers. Additionally, electrical conductivity enhancement by graphene on carbon fiber composites was studied and analyzed. The overall goal is to conduct material tests to confirm that graphene can enhance the properties of conventional materials and composites. These properties will then be compared to industry standard materials to show the benefit of these graphene-infused composites.
Ignite Grant Award
Location
AC1-ATRIUM
Start Date
3-31-2017 11:00 AM
End Date
3-31-2017 3:00 PM
Alternate Composite Team: Feasibility study of Graphene for structural component applications
AC1-ATRIUM
Graphene is a newly discovered material with a variety of industrial applications from composites to electrical systems. Due to its high Young’s modulus (2.0 ± 0.5 TPa) and electrical conductivity (106 S/cm), graphene-infused composites can serve as an alternative for several mainstream materials. Graphene infused composites could decrease aircraft weight, reduce lightning strike damage, increase the sensitivity of sensors, and improve the response time of electronics. In this study, graphene in the form of graphene oxide was used to fabricate the epoxy and fiber reinforced composites. The epoxy and fiberglass composites were made with and without graphene, and analyzed for their material properties. The results of the fiberglass tensile tests showed an improvement of 8.72 % in Young’s modulus due to the presence of the graphene. The composites were then examined under both an optical microscope and a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM ) to study the bonding of graphene within the epoxy and fibers. Additionally, electrical conductivity enhancement by graphene on carbon fiber composites was studied and analyzed. The overall goal is to conduct material tests to confirm that graphene can enhance the properties of conventional materials and composites. These properties will then be compared to industry standard materials to show the benefit of these graphene-infused composites.
Ignite Grant Award