The use of Nanocomposites in Automotive Applications

Design of A

utomotive Com

posites

Lu, Pilla

Y. Charles Lu Srikanth Pilla

PT-172ISBN: 978-0-7680-8237-1

9 780768 082371

The use of Nanocomposites in Automotive ApplicationsY. Charles Lu, Srikanth Pilla

The Use of Nanocomposites in Automotive Applications, edited by Dr. Charles Lu and Dr. Srikanth Pilla, is a collection of twelve technical papers selected from the automotive composites and other relevant sessions that the editors have organized for the SAE World Congress over the past decade.

These papers o� er an in-depth cover of the material which, consisting of a polymer matrix and reinforcement fi llers, has become one of the most signifi cant engineering innovations in the 20th century.

Composite materials have a desirable combination of the best properties of the constituent phases (polymer and fi llers) and thus have emerged as the materials of choice to increase the performance and reduce the weight of various types of vehicles. In the past two decades, a new type of composite, known as “nanocomposite,” has emerged. Nanocomposite is defi ned as a new class of fi ller reinforced polymers in which at least one dimension of the dispersed fi llers is in the nanometer scale (1 nm= 10-9 m). Compared to conventional reinforcement fi llers that have dimensions on the micrometer scale and larger, the reinforcement fi llers in nanocomposites have dimensions on the order of 100 nm and smaller.

The nano-sized fi llers used in nanocomposites can be broadly classifi ed into three categories: (1) nano-fi bers, (2) nano-platelets, and (3) nano-particles. For each type of fi ller, at least one of the dimensions is in the nanometer range: that is, the diameter (2r) of the nano-fi ber and the nano-particle and the thickness (t) of the nano-platelet.

The e� ectiveness of the nano-sized fi llers in composites can be explained by one of their unique geometric properties, the length-to-thickness aspect ratio, which leads to exceptionally higher reinforcing e� ciency.

With greater surface area and surface energy, the nano-sized fi llers dispersed in a polymer matrix would form much larger and stronger “interfaces” than the micro-scale fi llers, providing signifi cant improvements in mechanical properties of the composites.

Traditional fi bers, such as carbon or glass fi bers, are typically aimed at improving the structural performance of composites. The nano-sized fi llers, such as carbon nanotubes, have excellent mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties and thus bring additional functionalities to the composites. Therefore, composites fi lled with nano-sized fi llers can be used to carry mechanical loads, store electrical energy, monitor structural health, and sense fi re, as examples.

The Use of Nanocomposites in Automotive Applications is an ideal compilation of technical knowledge for those either working or doing research in this fi eld.

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Table of Contents

Introduction to Nanocomposites ............................................................................... 1

Perspectives of nanocomposites in the automotive industry ................................ 7

Nanomaterials – A New Dimension in Automotive Engineering (2006-01-0105) .............9

Nanocomposites: Recent Development and Potential Automotive Applications (2008-01-1263) ..............................................................................................................17

Nanotechnology Applications in Future Automobiles (2010-01-1149) ...........................27

Nano-fiber reinforced composites ........................................................................... 39

Polyamide 6 Reinforced With Carbon Nanotubes for Automotive Parts ........................41

(2008-36-0132)

Mechanical Properties of MWCNT/Elastomer Nanocomposites and the Cellulation Model (2009-01-0606) .................................................................................47

Development of a Transparent Nanocomposite for Automobile Polymer Glazing (2012-01-0749) .................................................................................................53

Nano-platelet reinforced composites ...................................................................... 59

Twenty-Year Review of Polymer-Clay Nanocomposites at Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc. (2007-01-1017)............................................................61

Strategies for Intercalation and Exfoliation of PP/Clay Nanocomposites (2006-01-0132) ..............................................................................................................73

The Development of Nanoclay-Epoxy Composite for Application in Ballistic Protection (2009-01-0920)................................................................................79

Nano-particle reinforced composites ...................................................................... 87

Ultrasonic Cavitation Based Casting of Aluminum Matrix Nanocomposites for Automobile Structures (2006-01-0290).....................................................................89

Development and Property Evaluation of Aluminum-Alloy Reinforced with Nano-ZrO2 Metal Matrix Composites (NMMCs) for Automotive Applications (2009-01-0218) ..............................................................................................................95

Synthesis and Characterization of Nickel and Ni-TiO2 Nanocomposite Coatings Processed by Pulse Electrodeposition Technique (2015-26-0060) .............................101

About the Editors .................................................................................................... 109