FLEXIBLE TWO-DIMENSIONAL SHEETS OF CNT-REINFORCED ULTRA-HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYETHYLENE NANOCOMPOSITES
Guan Jingwen (1)*, Zhang Yunfa (2), Yang Qi (2), Kingston Christopher T. (1), Simard Benoit (1), Johnston Andrew (2), Yousefpour Ali (2)
(1) Security and Disruptive Technologies Research Center, National Research Council Canada - Ontario - Canada, (2) Aerospace Research Center, National Research Council Canada - Ontario - Canada
Many ballistic and post-ballistic secondary protections such as those for knees and elbows require flexible or semi-rigid materials. Current solution is based on hybrid fibre composites that have been optimized at a fixed flexibility and have little room in the design space. Additional adjustment in the flexibility will significantly compromise the ballistic performance. Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has been successfully employed in many applications requiring impact resistance. Carbon nanotube (CNT)-reinforced UHMWPE nanocomposites allows for tailorable flexibility and enhanced mechanical toughness with a potential of significant weight-reduction. Here we report our recent work in progress on CNT-UHMWPE nanocomposites and illustrate the processibility of fabricating such two-dimensional sheets to a desired size and thickness. Preliminary results of mechanical property tests are also reported and discussed.
Keywords: Carbon nanotubes, Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), 2D-nanocomposite sheet