Browsing by Author "Gupta, Ranjeetkumar"

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    Engineering Interfaces in Polymer Nanocomposites for Self-Healing Applications
    (Cranfield University, 2017-12-13 16:22) Gupta, Ranjeetkumar
    3MT presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.Polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) are finding various applications and its obvious since nanocomposites for example can effectively couple the flexibility of polymer and high strength of carbon, thus offering the combination of highest performance and processibility. Though the uniform dispersion of nanoparticles in the polymer is the biggest challenge. And unless achieved so, the nanocomposite won’t serve the useful properties as desired of it. This eventually relates to the issue involving large interfaces formed by the included nanoparticles. The proposed research work deals with the critical aspect of controlling the interfacial structure-property-functions relationships, by functionalisation of nanoparticles for controlling their interfaces and forming hierarchical networks with designed dispersion techniques for dictated positioning of nanoparticles. Thus, reducing total cost and weight of parts, with autonomous damage detection and self-healing characteristics; by engineering the interfaces accordingly. The autonomic self-healability triumphs even in the problematic cases where damage, or its site is hard to identify or even inaccessible. Specifically, such PNCs can be designed as insulating/conducting fabric/layer, electromagnetic-shielding, microwave absorption, corrosion & fire retardants, refractive index tuned optical fibres, and the list can be extended indefinitely. Popularity of PNCs are increasing in applications for micro UAVs, armours/liners, composite jet-vanes, wings and propellers for LCA, etc.
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    Insulating Polymer Nanocomposites for High Thermal Conduction and Fire Retarding Applications
    (Cranfield University, 2017-12-06 14:27) Gupta, Ranjeetkumar; Huo, Dehong; Pancholi, Mehul; Njuguna1, James; Pancholi, Ketan
    Technical paper presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.The possibility of combining the flexibility and light-weight of polymers with the highest insulation and dielectric permittivity of ceramics, drives the field of nanocomposites for potential commercial application. The inclusion of nano-sized insulating particles in the polymer matrix, and orienting the fillers along the direction of heat flow results in modifying the induced interfaces for effective phonon propagation. Such flexible polymer nanocomposites (PNC) offer easy workability and refined insulating effect with high thermal conductivity and fire-retardancy. Hence, opening a wider arena of applications with the advantage of their light-weight. With selective combination of the inclusions, other properties like anti-corrosion, UV-protection, etc. can be effortlessly induced. The engineering of the interfaces, is the key for dictating the desired properties at the macro-scale. Consequently, silane functionalisation of nanoparticles with designed dispersion technique was tried for achieving this purpose. This paper reports that surface modification of the nanoparticles can effectively solve the dispersion problem and reduces the electric field charge concentration at the interface. Presenting an effective way of resulting in a promising PNC suitable for various defence applications of radome technology, energy storage (like batteries), structural bodies and cables in general, etc.
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    Self-Healing Polymer Nanocomposites for Composite Structure applications
    (Cranfield University, 2017-12-06 16:31) Gupta, Ranjeetkumar
    Poster presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium. Nanocomposites offer the possibility of realizing materials with bespoke properties that were un-realizable by the parent pristine materials. Since, nanoscale inclusions firstly engender small mechanical, electrical and optical defects; and secondly the differential property of the large volume of interfacial polymer from the bulk, bestow an opportunity for multi-functionality and attuning desired properties. The proposed research work deals with designing and controlling the interfacial structure-property-function relationships in the nanocomposites. This would give an insight for designing particle-polymer interface in forming hierarchical network of nanoparticles in the polymer matrix, and tackling the exigent issues of agglomeration and uniform dispersion. Upon achieving such to an acceptable limit, there are various possibilities of inducing self-assembling characteristics by engineering the phase interfaces, to design application driven specific properties based nanocomposite materials. This can herald way of delivering enduring structural materials, by the virtue of autonomous self-healing ability, sustaining not just once but multiple or repetitive occasions of damage. The autonomic self-healability triumphs even in the problematic cases where the damage, or its site is hard to identify or even inaccessible. Such engineered self-healing polymer nanocomposites are already finding extensive and promising applications in defence and space expeditions.