Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Graduate Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2014 Multifunctional polymer composites containing inorganic nanoparticles and novel low-cost carbonaceous fillers Hongchao Wu Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd Part of the Mechanics of Materials Commons Recommended Citation Wu, Hongchao, "Multifunctional polymer composites containing inorganic nanoparticles and novel low-cost carbonaceous fillers" (2014). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 13708. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/13708 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Multifunctional polymer composites containing inorganic nanoparticles and novel low- cost carbonaceous fillers by Hongchao Wu A dissertation submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major: Materials Science and Engineering Program of Study Committee: Michael R. Kessler, Major Professor Xiaoli Tan Nicola Bowler Gap-Yong Kim Samy Madbouly Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 2014 Copyright © Hongchao Wu, 2014. All rights reserved. ii TABLE OF CONTENT LIST OF FIGURES................................................................................................................... .... vi LIST OF TABLES...........................................................................................................................x ACKNOWLEDGMENT................................................................................................................ xi ABSTRACT..................................................................................................................................xii CHAPTER 1: GENERAL INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Dissertation organization ....................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Background and literature review ......................................................................................... 4 1.3.1 Recent research progress in polymer nanocomposites ................................................... 4 1.3.2 Inorganic nano-fillers in polymer composites ................................................................ 5 1.3.3 Carbonaceous filler materials ......................................................................................... 8 1.3.4 Selection of polymer matrix ......................................................................................... 10 1.4 Research objectives ............................................................................................................. 14 1.4.1 Zirconium tungstate/epoxy nanocomposites: effect of nanoparticle morphology and negative thermal expansivity .......................................................................................... 14 1.4.2 Multifunctional cyanate ester nanocomposites reinforced by hexagonal boron nitride from non-covalent biomimetic functionalization ....................................................... 15 1.4.3 Asphaltene: structural characterization, molecular functionalization, and application as low-cost filler in epoxy resin ......................................................................... 15 1.4.4 High performance and low-cost hybrid composites from asphaltene/SBS tri-block copolymer .............................................................................................................................. 16 1.5 References ........................................................................................................................... 16 CHAPTER 2: ZIRCONIUM TUNGSTATE/EPOXY NANOCOMPOSITES: EFFECT OF NANOPARTICLE MORPHOLOGY AND NEGATIVE THERMAL EXPANSIVITY ............ 24 2.1 Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 24 2.2 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 25 2.3 Experimental ....................................................................................................................... 27 iii 2.3.1 Materials ....................................................................................................................... 27 2.3.2 Synthesis of ZrW2O8 nanoparticles .............................................................................. 28 2.3.3 Preparation of ZrW2O8/epoxy nanocomposites ............................................................ 28 2.3.4 Characterization ............................................................................................................ 29 2.4 Results and discussion ......................................................................................................... 31 2.5 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 51 2.6 Acknowledgement ............................................................................................................... 52 2.7 References ........................................................................................................................... 52 CHAPTER 3: MULTIFUCNTIONAL CYANATE ESTER NANOCOMPOSITES REINFORCED BY HEXAGONAL BORON NITRIDE AFTER NON-COVALENT BIOMIMETIC FUNCTIONALIZATION.................................................................................... 56 3.1 Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 56 3.2 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 57 3.3 Experimental ....................................................................................................................... 59 3.3.1 Materials ....................................................................................................................... 59 3.3.2 Functionalization of h-BN nanoparticles...................................................................... 59 3.3.3 Preparation of h-BN/BECy nanocomposites ................................................................ 60 3.3.4 Measurement and characterization ............................................................................... 61 3.4 Results and discussion ......................................................................................................... 62 3.5 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 85 3.6 Acknolwedgement ............................................................................................................... 86 3.7 References ........................................................................................................................... 86 CHAPTER 4: ASPHALTENE: STRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION, MOLECULAR FUNCTIONALIZATION, AND APPLICATION AS LOW-COST FILLERS IN EPOXY COMPOSITES...............................................................................................................................90 4.1 Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 90 4.2 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 91 4.3 Experimental ....................................................................................................................... 92 4.3.1 Materials ....................................................................................................................... 92 4.3.2 Extraction of asphaltene ............................................................................................... 93 4.3.3 Molecular modification of asphaltene .......................................................................... 93 iv 4.3.4 Preparation of asphaltene/epoxy composites................................................................ 94 4.3.5 Measurement and characterization ............................................................................... 94 4.4 Results and Discussion ........................................................................................................ 95 4.4.1 Characterization of pristine asphaltene ........................................................................ 95 4.4.3 Characterization of asphaltene/epoxy composites ...................................................... 105 4.5 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 111 4.6 Acknowledgement ............................................................................................................. 111 4.7 References ......................................................................................................................... 112 CHAPTER