Title: Graphene Nanoplatelet Reinforced Thermally Insulating Microchannel Foam

Authors: Eric D. Schmid, N. Krishnan P. Veluswamy, Andrew M. Klose, James E. Fesmire, David R. Salem

DOI: 10.33599/nasampe/s.21.0528

Abstract: Graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) have been shown to substantially improve the thermal properties and the mechanical performance in polymer matrix nanocomposite structures. Traditional applications tend to benefit from the simultaneous improvement in both thermal and mechanical multifunctionality, but in the case of polymer nanocomposite insulating foams, the additive/reinforcements must enhance the mechanical properties while also maintaining the low thermal conductivity of the foam. To study the ability of GNP to act as reinforcement for a microchannel epoxy foam structure, loadings of up to 1.00 wt.% GNP were incorporated into the epoxy resin to form the nanocomposite foam matrix. At 0.15 wt.% GNP, nanocomposite foams showed improvements of more than 200% in the microchannel foam specific flexural modulus. These GNP nanocomposite foams also showed no significant change in thermal conductivity as compared to the baseline microchannel polymer foam, thereby demonstrating the ability of GNP microchannel foams as mechanically reinforced thermal insulation. While not yet tested, the addition of the graphene nanoplatelets may potentially provide additional multifunctionality to the foam such as reduced UV/radiation transmittance, improved electrical surface conductivity for diminished static charge buildup, and/or lowering of the coefficient of thermal expansion for enhanced structural stability in extreme environments, making these materials well-suited as high-performance materials supporting applications in next generation space systems.

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Conference: SAMPE NEXUS 2021

Publication Date: 2021/06/29

SKU: TP21-0000000528

Pages: 11

Price: FREE