Description:
To develop high quality carbon polymer nanocomposites (CPNC), and consequently novel CPNC devices possessing enhanced piezoelectric, electrical conductivity, photorefractive (PR), and electrical insulation functions. Respectively, high piezoelectric response in carbon nanotube (CNT) modified PVDF materials and new fibres thereof to enable efficient lightweight fibre/textile based actuators and sensors; durable electrically conductive textile fibers fulfilling  requirements on mechanical and tactile properties to be used as building blocks in various smart textiles applications; PR layers yielding stable operation in the whole visible and near-IR ranges for electromagnetic/optical uses; obtain well defined carbon nanodisks (CND) and to use them for new semiconductive composites based on polyolefins for high voltage insulative layers. Above is supported by experimental (compos. mater. sci. tech., polym. sci. eng., manufacturing) and computational molecular research which in combination will lead to an increased atomistic-level understanding to enable optimization of the electro-active properties. Involvement of industries, research institutes and the Smart Textiles initiative ensures that the knowledge (e.g., in the form of PhD graduates), materials and developed prototypes will be efficiently disseminated to, and used by, Swedish industry.

Goal:
To develop high quality polymer nanocomposites and consequently novel devices possessing enhanced piezoelectric, electrical conductivity, photorefractive (PR), and electrical insulation functions

Subproject:

• Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) materials and new fibres thereof to enable lightweight fibre/textile based actuators and sensors
• Durable electrically conductive textile fibers fulfilling  requirements on mechanical and tactile properties PR (photorefractive) layers yielding stable operation in the whole visible and near-IR ranges for electromagnetic/optical uses
• Semiconductive composites based on polyolefins for high voltage insulative layers.