Graphene in epoxy resin: Impact of concentration on multiple properties | Lucie Chupin
Summary :
Since it was first isolated graphene has proven to be one of the thinnest, strongest, most impermeable and a highly thermally and electrically conductive material. In order to enhance these properties in materials such as epoxy resins, graphene has been mixed in them. However, the graphene dispersibility and quality is not always optimal and in order to perceive an effect of graphene on the properties a high concentration must be added. Carbon Waters was founded on a groundbreaking innovative graphene production process. This process leads to already dispersed graphene, Graph’Up, that can be transferred into several matrices (Fig. 1), such as polymers and epoxy resins, which gives ready to use graphene pre-mixes for many applications (coating, composites, adhesives …). Thanks to this process highly dispersed epoxy resins are obtained and ready to be formulated. By controlling the graphene concentration mixed in epoxy resin, it is possible to increase multiple properties at low concentrations: thermal resistance, mechanical properties, hydrophobicity, thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity...The increase of several of these properties can be controlled by the graphene concentration. Adding epoxy doped graphene is now a real solution to improve the resins properties or lightening the weight of the product by either applying less of it for comparable properties or using less metal additives.
About Author :
After a PhD in polymer chemistry, Lucie Chupin worked in several academic facilities always focusing her research on bio-based and environmentally friendly polymers and materials. After working at Solvay Composites, she gained expertise in epoxy resin formulation. She then joined Carbon Waters to lead the developments of graphene-based additives for polymers and composites. Her work at Carbon Waters consists in developing high added-value products tailored to customers’ needs by integrating graphene dispersions into industrial products.
