Functional Graphene–Polymer Composites

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 September 2024 | Viewed by 1323

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
CNR-IPCB, Piazzale Enrico Fermi 1, Portici, Italy
Interests: epoxy-based nanocomposites; hyperbranched polymers; fiber-reinforced polymers; fracture toughness properties; mechanical properties; thermal properties; carbonaceous filler-based polymer nanocomposites

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Guest Editor
Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Research Council of Italy, 80055 Naples, Italy
Interests: design and synthesis of materials; functionalization of materials; bio-inspired materials; hydrogels; nanocomposites systems; sensing and biosensing surface
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Although graphene was theoretically predicted before the beginning of the 21st century, it was only in 2004 that it was isolated from bulk graphite by Geim and Novoselov; starting from this point, the number of works focused on graphene has increased exponentially, and many synthesis and functionalization techniques have been developed over the last 20 years. Due to its extraordinary mechanical, thermal and electrical properties, graphene is extensively employed as a filler in polymer composites. Graphene’s ease of functionalization is another reason that has allowed for the expansion of graphene-based polymer composites in a wide number of industrial sectors, such as aeronautics, electronics, packaging, etc.; in fact, the functionalization of graphene allows us to tune the derived graphene–polymer composite properties, improving the native properties of the polymer matrix and inducing novel features such as electrical and thermal conductivity, fire retardancy and EMI shielding.

The aim of this Special Issue is to publish original articles, critical reviews, research notes, analyses, case studies and short communications relating to the progress in graphene functionalization techniques, the development and characterization of functionalized graphene-based polymer composites, and the analytical and numerical modeling of composite systems.

Dr. Aldobenedetto Zotti
Dr. Simona Zuppolini
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • graphene–polymer composites
  • graphene functionalization techniques
  • dispersion techniques
  • electrical properties
  • structural reinforcement

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 10496 KiB  
Article
Effect of Graphene Oxide Localization on Morphology Development and Rheological and Mechanical Properties of Poly(lactic acid)/ethylene vinyl Alcohol Copolymer Blend Composites: A Comprehensive Study
by Parsa Dadashi, Suprakas Sinha Ray and Amir Babaei
Polymers 2024, 16(8), 1061; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16081061 - 11 Apr 2024
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Abstract
This study investigates the rheological, morphological, and mechanical properties of melt-processed polylactide/ethylene vinyl alcohol (70PLA/30EVOH) blend composites containing 0.25, 0.5, and 1 wt.% of graphene oxide (GO) nanoplates. Thermodynamic-based suggested the localization of nanoparticles in EVOH, SEM studies showed that the introduction of [...] Read more.
This study investigates the rheological, morphological, and mechanical properties of melt-processed polylactide/ethylene vinyl alcohol (70PLA/30EVOH) blend composites containing 0.25, 0.5, and 1 wt.% of graphene oxide (GO) nanoplates. Thermodynamic-based suggested the localization of nanoparticles in EVOH, SEM studies showed that the introduction of GO to the blend increased dispersed droplet size, which was attributed to the localization of GO within EVOH, as confirmed by TEM. The rheology results indicated a decrease in the elasticity for the composite containing 0.25 wt.% of GO compared to the neat blend, which was attributed to the sliding effect of the added GO nanoplatelets. However, samples containing higher amounts of GO nanoplatelets exhibited more excellent elasticity than the neat blend. The increased elasticity was suggestively attributed to the dominance of hydrodynamic interactions, the physical network of added nanoplatelets, and polymer/GO interactions over the sliding role of the GO nanoplatelets at higher loadings. In addition, the effect of the order of mixing was investigated, and the premixing of PLA and GO exhibited a decrease in the droplet radius compared to the neat blend. It was ascribed to the localization of GO nanosheets in the PLA and interface, which was confirmed by rheological results and mechanical assessments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Graphene–Polymer Composites)
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14 pages, 8580 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Carbon-Based Nanofillers on Cryogenic Temperature Mechanical Properties of CFRPs
by Aldobenedetto Zotti, Simona Zuppolini, Anna Borriello, Valeria Vinti, Luigi Trinchillo and Mauro Zarrelli
Polymers 2024, 16(5), 638; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16050638 - 27 Feb 2024
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Abstract
In the present work, the effects of carbon-based nanofillers (0.5 wt%), i.e., graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), carbon nanofibers (CNFs), and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), on the cryogenic temperature (77 K) mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) were investigated. The study utilized an ex [...] Read more.
In the present work, the effects of carbon-based nanofillers (0.5 wt%), i.e., graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), carbon nanofibers (CNFs), and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), on the cryogenic temperature (77 K) mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) were investigated. The study utilized an ex situ conditioning method for cryogenic tests. The nanofillers were mixed with the epoxy matrix by a solvent-free fluidized bed mixing technique (FBM), while unidirectional carbon fibers were impregnated with the resulting nanocomposites to manufacture CFRP samples. Optical microscopy was employed to analyze the dispersion of the carbon-based fillers within the matrix, revealing a homogeneous distribution in nanocomposites containing GNPs and CNFs. Fracture toughness tests confirmed the homogeneity of the GNP-loaded systems, showing an improvement in the stress intensity factor (KC) by 13.2% and 14.7% compared to the unmodified matrix at RT (25 °C) and 77 K, respectively; moreover, flexural tests demonstrated a general increase in flexural strength with the presence of carbon-based nanofillers at both temperature levels (RT and 77 K). Additionally, interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) tests were performed and analyzed using the same ex situ conditioning method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Graphene–Polymer Composites)
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