Polymers!!! Nanotubes!!! Matt Montgomery Kris Behler, Mentor Dr. Yuri Gogotsi, Advisor.
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Transcript of Polymers!!! Nanotubes!!! Matt Montgomery Kris Behler, Mentor Dr. Yuri Gogotsi, Advisor.
Polymers!!!Nanotubes!!!
Matt Montgomery
Kris Behler, Mentor
Dr. Yuri Gogotsi, Advisor
Objective
• Electrically conductive micro-fibers
Method
• Electrospin polymer + nanotube
Electrospinning
http://www.che.vt.edu/Wilkes/electrospinning/Slide1.JPG
Concentrations
• Polymer (≤ 30%)
• Solvent (≥ 70%)
• Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes (≈ 0.1% to 0.02%)
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
1
Concentrations of Species in Solution
MWCNTs
Polymer
Solvent
Polymer:• (PVDF= Polyvinylidene-fluoride)
Solvent:• (DMA = Dimethyl-aniline)
• (DMF = Dimethyl-formamide)
Our solutions
PVDF pellets
• Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes
TEM image
Catalysts
Average diameter between 10 and 20 nanometers
Computer model of MWCNTwww.thomas-swan.co.uk/ pages/nano_images.html
Problems
• Solubility of PVDF
• Viscosity / Solidification
• Nanotube dispersal
Our electrospinningapparatus
Heat lamps to keep solution from solidifying
Fiber Collection plate (copper plate with aluminum foil
wrapped over it)
Fibers
• Do they contain carbon nanotubes?• Are they more conductive?
Our electrospun fibers
More of our fibers
Raman Spectroscopy
Standard carbon nanotube signature
Raman Spectra shows characteristic peaks– 1330 cm-1 D-band
– 1430 cm-1 PVDF peak– 1584 cm-1 G-Band
λ = 633 nm, 500x mag, 500sec Slide courtesy of Kris Behler
Carbon nanotubes successfully embedded in PVDF!
Research continues.