Electrode used in lithium-ion battery is invariably a composite of multifunctional components. The performance of the electrode is controlled by the interactive function of all components at mesoscale. Fundamental understanding of mesoscale phenomenon sets the basis for innovative designing of new materials. Here we report the achievement and origin of a significant performance enhancement of e...

This paper presents an overview of the research performed to date by a Swedish interdisciplinary team of scientists striving to develop multifunctional composite materials for storage of electric energy in mechanical load paths. To realise structural batteries from polymer composites, research pursued on carbon fibres for use as negative electrode in the battery as well as on polymer electrolyt...

Polymer (XAD7HP)/Ti4+ nanocomposites were prepared through the swelling of polymer in titanium (IV) ethoxide as a titanium dioxide precursor. The nanocomposite beads exhibit relatively high porosity different than the porosity of the initial polymer. Thermal treatment of composite particles up to 200 °C in vacuum causes the change of their internal structure. At higher temperature, the componen...

We have utilized 2D material point method (MPM) to study the influence of nanoparticles on the diffusivity of penentrants in model polymer membranes comprised of impenetrable spherical nanoparticles dispersed in a matrix with uniform penetrant solubility and diffusivity. The polymer membrane near the surface of a nanoparticle exhibits enhanced penetrant diffusion relative to that of the bulk po...

Electrospinning is a very simple and versatile process by which polymer nanofibers with diameters ranging from a few nanometers to several micrometers (usually between 50 and 500 nm) can be produced using an electrostatically driven jet of polymer solution (or polymer melt). Significant progress has been made in this process throughout the past few years and the resultant nanostructures have be...

Dynamics of the interphase region between matrix and bound polymers on nanoparticles is important to understand the macroscopic rheological properties of nanocomposites. Here, we present neutron scattering investigations on nanocomposites with dynamically asymmetric interphases formed by a high-glass transition temperature polymer, poly(methyl methacrylate), adsorbed on nanoparticles and a low-...

In a two-step method, carbon nanotubes, inorganic nanowires, or graphene sheets are connected between two anchor points to form nanomaterial air bridges. First, a recently developed method of forming directionally oriented polymer nanofibers by hand-application is used to form suspended composite polymer-nanomaterial fibers. Then, the polymer is sacrificed by thermally induced depolymerization ...

We demonstrate synthesis of a polymer-derived ceramic (PDC)-multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite using microwave irradiation at 2.45 GHz. The process takes about 10 min of microwave irradiation for the polymer-to-ceramic conversion. The successful conversion of polymer coated carbon nanotubes to ceramic composite is chemically ascertained by Fourier transform-infrared and X-ray photoelec...

fiber reinforced composites are widely used instead of traditional materials in various technological applications. therefore, by considering the extensive applications of these materials, a proper knowledge of their impact behavior (from low- to high-velocity) as well as their static behavior is necessary. in order to study the effects of strain rates on the behavior of these materials, specia...

The establishment of the Wright State University (WSU) high altitude balloon program creates an opportunity to conduct experiments in near space environments. Recently developed materials such as shape memory polymer composites are ideal for space applications due to their high specific stiffness (elastic modulus divided by density) and ability to be stowed into a small size for launch in conve...