The review renders a short background on the research work carried out on epoxy clay nanocomposites Clays are one of the ideal nano reinforcements for polymers because of their high intercalation chemistry and aspect ratio Epoxy clay nanocomposites are finding vast applications in various industries like aerospace, defense, automobile, etc The physical and chemical properties of the epoxy systems are influenced by the processing techniques, clay modifier and curing agents used for the preparation of nanocomposites The clay morphology (intercalation/exfoliation) of the nanocomposites is also depended on the above parameters So the emphasis of the present work is to highlight these parameters on morphology and the final mechanical, thermal and barrier properties of the nanocomposites The proposed applications of the epoxy clay nanocomposites are also discussed

Epoxy clay nanocomposites ― processing, properties and applications: A review

Energy harvesting technologies have been explored by researchers for more than two decades as an alternative to conventional power sources (e.g. batteries) for small-sized and low-power electronic devices. The limited life-time and necessity for periodic recharging or replacement of batteries has been a consistent issue in portable, remote, and implantable devices. Ambient energy can usually be found in the form of solar energy, thermal energy, and vibration energy. Amongst these energy sources, vibration energy presents a persistent presence in nature and manmade structures. Various materials and transduction mechanisms have the ability to convert vibratory energy to useful electrical energy, such as piezoelectric, electromagnetic, and electrostatic generators. Piezoelectric transducers, with their inherent electromechanical coupling and high power density compared to electromagnetic and electrostatic transducers, have been widely explored to generate power from vibration energy sources. A topical review of piezoelectric energy harvesting methods was carried out and published in this journal by the authors in 2007. Since 2007, countless researchers have introduced novel materials, transduction mechanisms, electrical circuits, and analytical models to improve various aspects of piezoelectric energy harvesting devices. Additionally, many researchers have also reported novel applications of piezoelectric energy harvesting technology in the past decade. While the body of literature in the field of piezoelectric energy harvesting has grown significantly since 2007, this paper presents an update to the authors' previous review paper by summarizing the notable developments in the field of piezoelectric energy harvesting through the past decade.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-665X/ab36e4/pdf

A review of energy harvesting using piezoelectric materials: state-of-the-art a decade later (2008–2018)

Polymer nanocomposites from modified clays: Recent advances and challenges

Polymeric microcomponents are widely used in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and lab-on-a-chip devices, but they suffer from the lack of complex motion, effective addressability and precise shape control To address these needs, we fabricated polymeric nanocomposite microactuators driven by programmable heterogeneous magnetic anisotropy Spatially modulated photopatterning was applied in a shape-independent manner to microactuator components by successive confinement of self-assembled magnetic nanoparticles in a fixed polymer matrix By freely programming the rotational axis of each component, we demonstrate that the polymeric microactuators can undergo predesigned, complex two- and three-dimensional motion

Programming magnetic anisotropy in polymeric microactuators.

Nanoindentation in polymer nanocomposites

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Preface

Wear is the major mode of failure in machine components made out of polymer and its composites. The low thermal conductivity of the polymer causes heat accumulation near the contact surface and the resulting thermal softening accelerates the wear. In this research work, an attempt is made to enhance the thermal conductivity and wear resistance of the polymer composite using the network reinforcement. Two different composite specimens were prepared with an equal quantity of reinforcement with different geometric form – one with discrete particles and another with the interconnected network. The thermal conductivity and tribological properties of the composites were measured. In particle reinforced composite, the presence of low thermal conductive matrix between the discrete particles act as a barrier for heat conduction and does not enhance the thermal conductivity considerably. In the case of network reinforced composite, the three-dimensional continuity provides an effective heat transfer path and increases the thermal conductivity significantly. The reinforcement in the form of network reduces the wear significantly compared to discrete particle form. The struts in the network reinforcements enhance the strength and arrest the removal of material from the surface.

Thermo-tribological characteristics of polyester composites containing aluminium particles and network

Numerical prediction of influence of chain length on contact pressure distribution on polymer composite sprocket

Product design for safe performance and operation in harsh environments triggers the importance of understanding property degradation due to prolonged exposure of advanced composite materials to su...

Monotonic and cyclic behavior of polyamide 66/hectorite nanocomposites in marine environment:

The influence of temperature on the tribological performance of alloy 718 is studied in the present work. The alloy 718 samples were used in double aged condition for reciprocating wear test with a ball on flat configurations. The wear tests were conducted at two conditions viz: room temperature and 300 °C temperature. The testing temperature had a significant influence on the coefficient of friction (COF) and wear resistance of alloy 718. The alloy 718 sample, subjected to high-temperature testing environment had a lower COF and higher wear rate compared to samples tested at ambient temperature. The lower COF values of the alloy 718 samples subjected to high wear testing temperature conditions were attributed to the extent and presence of glaze layer formation, which is insignificant in the case of samples subjected to ambient temperature. The higher wear rate values of the alloy 718 samples subjected to high wear testing temperature conditions were attributed to the due to occurrence of tribo-chemical reactions at the contact zone of tribo-pair.

R. Gnanamoorthy

Papers

Preface

Thermo-tribological characteristics of polyester composites containing aluminium particles and network

Numerical prediction of influence of chain length on contact pressure distribution on polymer composite sprocket

Monotonic and cyclic behavior of polyamide 66/hectorite nanocomposites in marine environment:

Investigation on Elevated Temperature Tribological Performance of Alloy 718