Elastomeric composites based on carbon nanomaterials.

Carbon nanomaterials including carbon black (CB), carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene have attracted increasingly more interest in academia due to their fascinating properties. These nanomaterials can significantly improve the mechanical, electrical, thermal, barrier, and flame retardant properties of elastomers. The improvements are dependent on the molecular nature of the matrix, the intrinsic property, geometry and dispersion of the fillers, and the interface between the matrix and the fillers.

Melt compounding with graphene to develop functional, high-performance elastomers.

Rather than using graphene oxide, which is limited by a high defect concentration and cost due to oxidation and reduction, we adopted cost-effective, 3.56 nm thick graphene platelets (GnPs) of high structural integrity to melt compound with an elastomer-ethylene-propylene-diene monomer rubber (EPDM)-using an industrial facility. An elastomer is an amorphous, chemically crosslinked polymer generally having rather low modulus and fracture strength but high fracture strain in comparison with other materials; and upon removal of loading, it is able to return to its original geometry, immediately and completely.

From carbon nanotubes and silicate layers to graphene platelets for polymer nanocomposites.

In spite of extensive studies conducted on carbon nanotubes and silicate layers for their polymer-based nanocomposites, the rise of graphene now provides a more promising candidate due to its exceptionally high mechanical performance and electrical and thermal conductivities. The present study developed a facile approach to fabricate epoxy-graphene nanocomposites by thermally expanding a commercial product followed by ultrasonication and solution-compounding with epoxy, and investigated their morphologies, mechanical properties, electrical conductivity and thermal mechanical behaviour. Graphene platelets (GnPs) of 3.