Engineering topics

Fabrizio, Eve F.

Publications and source records attributed to Fabrizio, Eve F..

7 records

NASA NTRS2012

Highly porous and mechanically strong ceramic oxide aerogels

Structurally stable and mechanically strong ceramic oxide aerogels are provided. The aerogels are cross-linked via organic polymer chains that are attached to and extend from surface-bound functional groups provided or present over the internal surfaces of a mesoporous ceramic oxide particle network via appropriate chemical reactions. The functional groups can be hydroxyl groups, which are native to ceramic oxides, or they can be non-hydroxyl functional groups that can be decorated over the internal surfaces of the ceramic oxide network. Methods of preparing such mechanically strong ceramic oxide aerogels also are provided.

Leventis, Nicholas↗

NASA NTRS2010

Highly porous and mechanically strong ceramic oxide aerogels

Leventis, Nicholas↗

NASA NTRS2007

Strong, Lightweight, Porous Materials

A new class of strong, lightweight, porous materials has been invented as an outgrowth of an effort to develop reinforced silica aerogels. The new material, called X-Aerogel is less hygroscopic, but no less porous and of similar density to the corresponding unmodified aerogels. However, the property that sets X-Aerogels apart is their mechanical strength, which can be as much as two and a half orders of magnitude stronger that the unmodified aerogels. X-Aerogels are envisioned to be useful for making extremely lightweight, thermally insulating, structural components, but they may also have applications as electrical insulators, components of laminates, catalyst supports, templates for electrode materials, fuel-cell components, and filter membranes.

Leventis, Nicholas↗

NASA NTRS2006

Chemical, Physical, and Mechanical Characterization of Isocyanate Cross-linked Amine-Modified Silica Aerogels

We describe a new mechanically strong lightweight porous composite material obtained by encapsulating the skeletal framework of amine-modified silica aerogels with polyurea. The conformal polymer coating preserves the mesoporous structure of the underlying silica framework and the thermal conductivity remains low at 0.041 plus or minus 0.001 W m(sup -1 K(sup -1). The potential of the new cross-linked silica aerogels for load-carrying applications was determined through characterization of their mechanical behavior under compression, three-point bending, and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). A primary glass transition temperature of 130 C was identified through DMA. At room temperature, results indicate a hyperfoam behavior where in compression cross-linked aerogels are linearly elastic under small strains (less than 4%) and then exhibit yield behavior (until 40% strain), followed by densification and inelastic hardening. At room temperature the compressive Young's modulus and the Poisson's ratio were determined to be 129 plus or minus 8 MPa and 0.18, respectively, while the strain at ultimate failure is 77% and the average specific compressive stress at ultimate failure is 3.89 x 10(exp 5) N m kg(sup -1). The specific flexural strength is 2.16 x 10(exp 4) N m kg(sup -1). Effects on the compressive behavior of strain rate and low temperature were also evaluated.

Katti, Atul↗

NASA NTRS2005

Crosslinking Amine-Modified Silica Aerogels with Epoxies: Mechanically Strong Lightweight Porous Materials

The mesoporous surfaces of TMOS-derived silica aerogels have been modified with amines by co-polymerization of TMOS with APTES. The amine sites have become anchors for crosslinking the nanoparticles of the skeletal backbone of the aerogel by attachment of di-, tri and tetra-functional epoxies. The resulting conformal coatings increase the density of the native aerogels by a factor of 2-3 but the strength of the resulting materials may increase by more than two orders of magnitude. Processing variables such as amount of APTES used to make the gels, the epoxy type and concentration used for crosslinking, as well as the crosslinking temperature and time were varied according to a multivariable design-of-experiments (DOE) model. It was found that while elastic modulus follows a similar trend with density, maximum strength is attained neither at the maximum density nor at the highest concentration of -NH2 groups, suggesting surface saturation effects. Aerogels crosslinked with the tri-functional epoxide always show improved strength compared with aerogels crosslinked with the other two epoxides under identical conditions. Solid C-13 NMR studies show residual unreacted epoxides, which condense with ne another by heating crosslinked aerogels at 150 C.

Meador, Mary Ann B.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Mechanically Strong Aerogels Formed by Templated Growth of Polymer Cross- Linkers on Inorganic Nanoparticles

In the search for materials with better mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties, it is becoming evident that oftentimes dispersing ceramic nanoparticles in plastics improves performance. Along these lines, chemical bonding (both covalent and noncovalent) between a filler and a polymer improves their compatibility, and thus enhances certain properties of the polymeric matrix above and beyond what is accomplished by simple doping with the filler. When a similarly sized dopant and matrix are used, elementary building blocks may also have certain distinct advantages (e.g., in catalysis). In this context, researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center reasoned that in the extreme case, where the dopant and the matrix (e.g., a filler and a polymer) are not only sized similarly, but their relative amounts are comparable, the relative roles of the dopant and matrix can be reversed. Then, if the "filler," or a certain form thereof, possesses desirable properties of its own, such properties could be magnified by cross-linking with a polymer. We at Glenn have identified silica as such a filler in its lowest-density form, namely the silica aerogel.

Leventis, Nicholas↗

NASA NTRS2004

Synthesis, Characterization, and Optical Properties of a Cyano-Functionalized 4,5,9,10-tetraaryl-l,6-dioxapyrene

5,10-Di(4-cyanophenyl)-4,9-di(4-methylphenyl)-1,6-dioxapyrene ( CN-diox), a symmetrically substituted 4,5,9,10-tetraaryldioxapyrene, was synthesized in seven steps from 1,4-dihydroxynaphthalene. The synthetic methodology incorporated a base-catalyzed ring-closure process followed by dehydration to introduce the first tetraaryl- 1,6-dioxapyrene. Crystal structure and electrochemical analysis were performed to directly compare the properties of CN-diox to previously reported dioxapyrene derivatives, specifically 1,6-dioxapyrene (Diox) and 4,9-diethyl-2,7-dimethyl- 1,6-dioxapyrene (Alkyl-diox). Optical spectroscopy studies were performed to evaluate the potential of the 1,6-dioxapyrenes as fluorescent probes. CN-diox revealed a broad absorption centered near 450 nm (epsilon = 31,900/M/cm) in THF with a corresponding fluorescence at 619 nm (Phi(sub f) = 0.011). This was in sharp contrast to both Diox and Alkyl-diox which displayed broad absorption bands near 400 nm (epsilon approx. 5,000-10,000/M/cm) in THF with corresponding fluorescence near 500 nm (Phi(sub f) = 0.059 and 0.082 for Diox and Alkyl-diox, respectively). The luminescence of CN-diox was found to be solvatochromic (lambda(sub max) = 619 nm-644 nm) with single exponential lifetimes of less than 1.3 ns. Neither Diox nor Alkyl-diox showed solvatochromic properties.

Tyson, Daniel S.↗