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Highly Thermally Conductive Adhesion Elastomer Enhanced by Vertically Aligned Folded Graphene
Huitao Yu1, Yiyu Feng1,2, Can Chen1
1Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, P. R. China.
Advanced Science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)
|October 17, 2022
Summary
Researchers developed a new smart material combining graphene and polymers for advanced tactile sensing. This material offers high thermal conductivity, elasticity, and adhesion, enabling robots to sense and grasp objects in the dark.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Robotics
- Sensors
Background:
- Interface heat and stress transfer are vital for tactile sensing.
- Developing smart materials with high thermal conductivity, elasticity, and adhesion is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate a novel composite material for tactile sensing applications.
- To enhance the capabilities of intelligent soft robots and manipulators.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a composite using vertically aligned folded graphene (VAFG) and a copolymer matrix (poly(PBA-ran-PDMS)).
- Optimization of chemical cross-linking and supermolecular interactions.
- Characterization of thermal conductivity, elastic deformation, and interfacial adhesion.
Main Results:
- The poly(PBA-ran-PDMS)/VAFG composite achieved high thermal conductivity (15.49 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹).
- The material demonstrated high elastic deformation and interfacial adhesion (up to 6500 N m⁻¹).
- The composite exhibited high sensitivity to temperature and pressure, with self-learning capabilities for manipulators.
Conclusions:
- The developed poly(PBA-ran-PDMS)/VAFG composite is a promising core material for intelligent soft robots.
- The smart manipulator can identify and grasp unknown materials in low-light conditions.
- This material advances tactile sensing for applications requiring thermal and mechanical property measurement.
