Development of Polymer Composites Reinforced with Recycled Carbon Fibers Crystal Pan High School North

Overview

Today’s industries are increasingly demanding high performance materials as substitutes for conventional materials. Polymer matrix composites(PMCs) combine two or more polymers resulting in unique properties that cannot be achieved with a single material. The purpose of this project was to prepare a Polyetheretherketone(PEEK) and carbon fiber(CF) PMC using recycled carbon fiber(RCF) and comparing the properties to virgin CF-PEEK. In this work, RCF-PEEK and CF-PEEK were prepared using injection molding, and the mechanical, structural, and thermal properties were characterized. Results reveal that RCF-PEEK has a higher flexural modulus but lower impact strength than CF-PEEK at similar concentrations. There is uniform distribution and strong fiber-matrix interaction for both RCF and CF in PEEK. CF-PEEK and RCF-PEEK are similar in their transition temperatures across fiber type and concentration. This comprehensive analysis of RCF-PEEK PMCs is beneficial in order to develop the full potential of PEEK and its composites for future applications in materials science. Overall, RCFs can be used in certain applications with similar effectiveness to virgin CFs. Optimization of carbon fiber recycling will lead to RCF becoming more prevalent and practical for industrial applications. The Quest to Conquer Thermal Expansion: Non-hydrolytic sol-gel synthesis and characterization of Al2-xInxW3O 12 Negative Thermal Expansion Materials Kavita Parikh Ottawa Hills High School, Toledo, OH Dr. Ling-Kovacs & Dr. Gadient University of Toledo Negative thermal expansion (NTE) materials have many potential applications given their unique properties to contract upon heating. Several families of materials show this interesting behavior; one of them is the scandium tungstate or A2M3O12 family (A = trivalent metal; M = Mo, W). In this project, the substitution of A2M3O12 compounds at the A-site was explored by creating various compounds in the structure Al2-xInxW3O12. This is expected to stabilize the NTE structure. Instead of the traditional Sc2W3O12, the cations Al3+ and In3+ were substituted for the metal cation. To synthesize these compounds, a non-hydrolytic sol-gel route was used: AlCl3, InCl3, WCl6, and diisopropyl ether were dissolved in acetonitrile solvent and heated to a powder, sealed in a glass ampoule, and heated for multiple days. After this, the ampoule was cooled and opened, yielding a raw sample. These were then subjected to various heat treatments and analyzed via x-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and energy dispersive spectroscopy, to determine if a single crystalline phase with homogeneity of the two cations had formed. At this time, five compositions have been synthesized and tested, yielding promising results for crystallinity and homogeneity. As this portion of the study focuses on optimization of synthesis conditions for phase-pure samples, it has been observed that longer reaction times and high-temperature heat treatments are essential for proper synthesis because they allow for increased crystallinity and the removal of organics. Once synthesis conditions have been fully optimized, the compounds will be tested for NTE behavior over a wider temperature range.

Competition history

• JSHS 2020 Category not listed

Resources

• National JSHS abstract book ↗

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