The weak interfacial interaction between nanofillers
and matrix nanocomposites during materials engineering have caused
nanofiller reinforcing effects to be far below the theoretically
predicted values. In a new report now published on Science
Advances, Ningning Song, and a team of scientists at the department
of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of
Virginia, U.S., demonstrated graphene-wrapped boron carbide (B4C)
nanowires (B4C-NWs@graphene). The constructs empowered exceptional
dispersion of nanowires in the matrix and contributed to
superlative nanowire-matrix bonding. The B4C-NWs@graphene
constructs reinforced epoxy composites and showed simultaneous
enhancement in strength, elastic modulus and ductility. By using
graphene to tailor the composite interfaces, Song et al.
effectively used the nanofillers to increase the load transfer
efficiency by two-fold. They used molecular dynamics simulations to
unlock the shear mixing self-assembly mechanism of the
graphene/nanowire construct. The low-cost technique opens a new
path to develop strong and tough nanocomposites to improve
interfaces and allow efficient high load transfer.
Tailoring nanocomposite interfaces with graphene to achieve
high strength and toughness
