INDUSTRY

20 June 2023 ESRFnews

AmaDema, a Cypriot company, uses X-ray tomography to reveal the hidden make- up of its NanoWeld performance-booster for fibre-reinforced polymer composites. Fibre-reinforced polymer composites are being increasingly adopted for tasks that demand strength without weight. Consisting of glass, carbon or other fibres embedded in epoxy or other polymers, they are used in a range of industrial sectors aerospace uses them in place of aluminium alloys, for instance. Now, however, a small company based in Cyprus has come to the ESRF to understand some of the secrets behind a product that makes the composites even stronger, and even lighter.

NanoWeld™, created by the advanced composites company AmaDema, in Nicosia, Cyprus, is based on a dry membrane several microns thick that sandwiches existing technical fibres before they are embedded in a polymer matrix. The membrane consists of randomly oriented, spaghetti- like polymeric nanofibres, which include nanoparticles.By creating a hierarchical (macro, micro and nano) structure in the interlayer of composites, the technology can increase the stiffness of composites by 20% while offering substantial weight- saving opportunities.

AmaDema scientists had already tried using transmission electron microscopy to study NanoWeld™ membranes, but it tended to destroy the samples and produce fuzzy images. For that reason they approached the ESRF s Business Development Office. We wanted a proof of concept to see whether we could see anything, recalls Katerina Loizou, an AmaDema engineer. Their access was supported by the European programme TamaTA-Innov (see Boosting industrial access , below).

The results were impressive. X-ray

nanotomography clearly shed light on the effect of the inclusion of nanoparticles within the nanofibers, while X-ray microtomography exposed the interfaces between the nanofibres in the membrane and the carbon fibres of the host technical fabric (see figure 1). In both cases, the results showcased the intricate and complex interface structure, enabling the 3D reconstruction of the structures, says Loizou.

She and her colleagues can now act on their new knowledge. The images highlighted variations in the thickness of the membrane, so the researchers will find ways to make it consistent. The

The strength within

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images also revealed the structure of pores in the membranes, which could help the researchers design protocols for better distribution of the polymer matrix. Alternatively, the pores could be exploited for other applications of NanoWeld™ filtration, for example.

The quality of the results surpassed our expectations, both in terms of detail and resolution, says Loizou. Meanwhile, the communication with the ESRF officers was excellent and the results turnover was very immediate Our experience with the ESRF was exceptional. 

Jon Cartwright

Figure 1 Left: Microtomography cross-section of a carbon fabric (dark grey circles) reinforced with a NanoWeld membrane (mid grey stripes); trapped air (light grey patches) can be removed by further processing. Right: Nanotomography cross-section of a NanoWeld membrane, depicting the constituent nanofibres.

The quality of the results surpassed our expectations

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BOOSTING INDUSTRIAL ACCESS

As a small company, AmaDema could be assisted in its access to the ESRF through TamaTA-Innov, a project funded by the European Commission s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme to boost the competitiveness of European SMEs. TamaTA-Innov

provides access to a range of European light-source facilities, including the ESRF, for industry scientists to conduct their research. The deadline for submitting proposals for the second call for SMEs through the programme is 28 July this year.