Graphene is an advanced material in the carbon group and offers greater mechanical, electrical, structural, and optical properties. Graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized and their special effects on enhancing the physio-mechanical characteristics of medium density fiberboard (MDF) were assessed. GO and rGO nanoparticles were added to urea formaldehyde (UF) resin at different weight percentages (1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 wt%) during the dosing process. To manufacture the MDF, nanofillers were created by sonication and combination with natural wood fibers. To observe the behavior of nanoparticles in the nanofillers, microstructure characterizations were conducted. The manufactured nano MDF samples underwent physical and mechanical testing. The incorporation of GO and rGO nanoparticles into UF resin led to significant improvements in the physical and mechanical properties of the MDF. The addition of GO and rGO nanoparticles at different weight percentages (1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 wt%) resulted in a range of improvements in thickness swelling (up to 53.3% and 35.2% for GO and rGO nanoparticles, respectively), water absorption (up to 23.3% and 63.15%, respectively), and thermal conductivity (up to 42.16% and 27.7%, respectively). Additionally, the internal bond and rupture modulus of the MDF was enhanced by 59.0% and 70.0%, respectively, for GO and 41.4% and 48.5% for rGO. The highest value of the modulus of rupture (MoR) was observed at a concentration of 3.0% of rGO nanoparticles (44.7 MPa). The findings also showed that thickness swelling (Ts) and water absorption (WA) exhibited directly proportional relationships for 3.0% GO and rGO. These results suggested that incorporating GO and rGO nanoparticles into UF resin can significantly improve the physical and mechanical properties of nano MDF.
This research introduces a novel flexible spherical carbon nanoparticle‐based polyurethane conductive ink, which is employed to fabricate strain sensors by a lab‐developed direct ink writing/3D printing system. Rheological tests are performed, and sensors are pasted on glass fiber‐reinforced plastic specimens to study strain gauge behaviors under quasistatic loading. The gauge factor in tensile loading is found to be layer width dependent as decreasing the strain gauge's layer width increases the sensitivity of the strain sensor. A maximum gauge factor of 34 is achieved using a layer width of 0.2 mm, 17 times greater than commercially available metal foil strain gauges. The four‐point bend tests are performed under tension/compression to assess the sensor's strain‐sensing and damage‐monitoring ability. Fractographic analysis is coupled with strain monitoring using the developed sensor, which confirms that the failure progresses from intralaminar failure modes such as ply splitting in tension. At the same time, delamination leads to kink band formation under compression and the eventual failure of load‐bearing fibers. The developed sensor exhibits repeatable performance with low hysteresis and integrated nonlinearity errors for up to 1000 cycles. The developed sensors could be effectively employed for online in situ structural health monitoring of aerospace structures under static and dynamic loading.
13 May 2024 in Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials