Piezoresistivity Characterization of Polymer Bonded Energetic Nanocomposites under Cyclic Load Cases for Structural Health Monitoring Applications

• Main Author: Rocker, Samantha Nicole
• Other Authors: Aerospace and Ocean Engineering
• Format: Others
• Published: Virginia Tech 2019
• Subjects: Structural health monitoring; Piezoresistivity; Nanocomposites; Multifunctional composites; Energetics; Carbon nanotubes; Damage detection
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/91427

The strain and damage sensing abilities of randomly oriented multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) dispersed in the polymer binder of energetic composites were experimentally investigated. Ammonium perchlorate (AP) crystals served as the inert energetic and atomized aluminum as the metallic fuel, both of which were combined to create a representative fuel-oxidizer filler often used for aerospace propulsive applications. MWCNTs were dispersed within an elastomer binder of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and hybrid energetics were fabricated from it, with matrix material comprised of the identified fillers. The nanocomposites were characterized based on their stress-strain response under monotonic uniaxial compression to failure, allowing for the assessment of effects of MWCNTs and aluminum powder on average compressive elastic modulus, peak stress, and strain to failure. The piezoresistive response was measured as the change in impedance with applied monotonic strain in both the mesoscopic and microscopic strain regimes of mechanical loading for each material system, as well as under ten cycles of applied compressive loading within those same strain regimes. Gauge factors were calculated to quantify the magnitude of strain and damage sensing in MWCNT-enhanced material systems. Electrical response of single-cycle thermal loading was explored with epoxy in place of the elastomer binder of the previously discussed studies. Piezoresistive response due to microscale damage from thermal expansion was observed exclusively in material systems enhanced by MWCNTs. The results discussed herein validate structural health monitoring (SHM) applications for embedded carbon nanotube sensing networks in polymer-based energetics under unprecedented cyclic loads. === Master of Science === The ability to characterize both deformation and damage in real time within materials of high energetic content, such as solid rocket propellant, is of great interest in experimental mechanics. Common energetic ammonium perchlorate, in the fonn of crystal particles, was embedded in polymer binders (ie PDMS and epoxy) and investigated under a variety of me­chanical and thermal loads. Carbon nanotubes, conductive tube-shaped molecular structures of carbon atoms, have been demonstrated in prior proofs of concept to induce substantial electrical response change when dispersed in composites which are experiencing strain. With the introduction of carbon nanotubes in the energetic composites investigated herein, the electrical response of the material systems was measured as a change in impedance with applied strain. Elastomer-bonded energel.ks were t.esl.ed under monotonic compression and cyclic compression, and expanded exploration was done on these material systems with the additional particulate of aluminum powder, allowing for varied particulate sizes and conductivity enhancement of the overall composite. The magnitude of the resulting piezoresistive change due to strain and microscale damage was observed to increase dramatically in material systems enhanced by MWCNT networks. Local heating was used to explore thermal loading on epoxy-bonded energetic material systems, and sensing of permanent damage to the­ material through its CNT network was proven through a permanent change in the electrical response which was exclusive to the CNT-enhanced material systems. These results demon­strate valid structural health monitoring (SHM) applications for embedded carbon nanotube sensing networks in particulate energetic composites, under a variety of load cases.