Transparent polymer nanocomposites for aerospace applications.

摘要

Transparent polymer nanocomposites (PNC) with carbon nano-fillers such as carbon nanotubes (CNT) or C60 fullerene were studied. Fabrication of PNC with covalently functionalized C60 fullerene, which acquired high visible light transparency, was performed to study how it would affect the optical, thermal, and mechanical properties of the base polycarbonate (chapter two). Novel mechanical and chemical approaches were applied to a dilute CNT mat, a thin layer of fibrous multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT), in order to investigate how those approaches would affect the optical and electrical properties of the CNT mat (chapter three and four).;The objective of this study is to deepen our understanding of transparent PNC with carbon nano-fillers from optical, mechanical, thermal, and electrical perspectives. Based on these understandings, we propose a future plan to achieve multifunctional transparent PNC, which is mechanically robust and capable of generating electricity out of UV light when combined with p-CuAlO 2/n-ZnO transparent solar cell. Such multifunctional, transparent PNC can be applied to large space structures.;An abstract of each study is detailed at the beginning of the individual chapters.