Research Summaries

Back Environmental Degradation Resistance of Structured Nanocomposites

Fiscal Year 2015
Division Graduate School of Engineering & Applied Science
Department Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Investigator(s) Luhrs, Claudia C.
Sponsor Office of the Undersecretary of Defense (DoD)
Summary With the expanding use of nanocomposites for key systems and defense applications (anticorrosive coatings, structural materials, electrical components, alternative energy systems and distribution lines, to mention a few), there is an urgent need to research the mechanisms they suffer as result of environmental attack. The proposed work aims to determine the effects that environmental factors such as UV light, temperature and humidity have in selected nanocomposites properties and identify which samples, according to their microstructural features and surface characteristics, are able to provide the highest level of environmental degradation resistance. That is, we propose not only to measure the extent of the changes observed in the sample as result to exposure, but to contribute to the understanding of the filler surface and microstructural characteristics that could be tailored to enable the design and generation of nanocomposites with higher resistance to degradation.
Keywords
Publications Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal
Data Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal