Grants and Contracts Details
Description
This project will synthesis nanoparticle composites suitable for radiation
shielding, and analyze their radiation and structural properties. Our objective is to
develop nanocomposites with the following multifunctional characteristics: I) radiation
shielding near that of polyethylene, 2) tensile and flexural strength near that of
polyethylene, and much highcr toughness and impact strength than that of polyethylene,
and 3) excellent flame retardancy. We also propose determining the ballistic and/or
hypervelocity impact performance of our nanocomposites. The research team is
materials engineer with experience in nanoparticles dispersions and nanocomposites
(University of Kentucky), a nuclear engineer with extensive experience in radiation
shielding measurements (Georgia Institute of Technology), and a small business
specializing in adhesion and interfacial chemistry (Adhesion Solutions, Inc.).
Composites made by dispersing nanoparticles into polymers can have improved
mechanical and transport properties. Nanoscale dispersions of asymmetric nanoparticles
(long cylinders or flat disks) with high thennal conductivities can give polymers with
improved flame retardancies, and may improve impact performance at very high strain
rates. We will use components with excellent space radiation shielding properties:
polyethylene as the continuous phase and boron-containing nanoparticles as the dispersed
phase. While polyethylene/boron blends have been previously considered for radiation
shielding, our focus will be to synthesize nanophase dispersions « I00 run in
discontinuous phase size). High interfacia1 adhesion between the polymer and
nanoparticles phases will be needed to obtain the best multifunctional material
pcrformance. We will use thin film adhesion testing methods to accelerate research on
surface functionalization methods. Radiation shielding tests will demonstrate whether
there are differences in radiation shielding based on nanoparticle type, orientation, and
dispersion quality.
These multifunctional nanocomposites could be fabricated using conventional
polymer process technologies. and would be suitable for use in composite sandwich
constructions, as foams and coatings. as tilled fibers. and as structural polymers in a
variety of spacecraft applications.
Status | Finished |
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Effective start/end date | 8/2/04 → 12/31/06 |
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