Developing Nanocomposites with Highly Aligned Nanoscale Reinforcement

EPSRC Portfolio: Manufacturing the Future theme, research areas: Complex Fluids & Rheology (maintain), Materials Engineering - Composites (maintain)

The development of nanocomposites is a highly exciting emerging field of research; formed by the addition of nanomaterials such as graphene and carbon nanotubes in to polymers, it has been shown that nanocomposites can have significantly enhanced mechanical and electrical properties. The ability to control the alignment of nanomaterials in polymers opens up a fascinating new set of material properties that can be further enhanced and varied with direction. Such materials will open up new applications in a wide range of structural, electrical and barrier fields. The science that underpins such materials sits at the boundary between materials science, chemistry and physics. This project presents an excellent opportunity to work with Mechanical and Electrical Engineers from Cardiff School of Engineering, staff from the Catalysis Institute in the Cardiff School of Chemistry and industry partners Haydale Ltd., who are a leading UK supplier and processor of nanomaterials.

The project will focus on the manufacture of polymer based nanocomposites with highly aligned graphene and carbon nanotube reinforcements that exhibit directionally dependent mechanical and electrical properties, when compared with randomly orientated nanocomposites. A strong scientific understanding of these materials will be developed through testing and analysis. The work will seek to develop nanomaterial processing techniques, initially focussing on wet chemistry, that enhance their tendency to align within a magnetic field. Techniques for mixing and processing nanocomposites will be optimised and the extent of nanomaterial alignment and the subsequent effect on material properties will be investigated.

The candidate will receive training and develop skills in a broad range of techniques in relation to chemical processing of nanomaterials; nanomaterials handling; nanocomposite manufacturing; use of magnetic devices; mechanical and electrical testing of composites; materials analysis and inspection (including XPS, XRD, electron microscopy and AFM).