GREEN NANONANO - Multiphase CNT/Green Silica Nanofillers for Advanced Tires
Overview
Background & policy context:
The biomorphic mineralization employs natural bio-templates at multiple scales (nano-micro-mega) and specific bio-templates such as diatoms which are particularly interesting due to their nano-dimension with nano-features (like nanopores, nanochannels, protusions).
One of the advantages of diatoms for nanotechnology over standard methods (top-down photolithography patterned substrates) is that diatoms grow in exponentially increasing numbers on surfaces or in solutions and thus can be fabricated at large-scale to respond to industrial demand.
Objectives:
It is believed that such capabilities could be smartly engineered to overcome existing limitations of nanomaterials for the reinforcement of elastomeric composites used for tire applications. Indeed, a dual phase filler system can offer a new performance range if the phase morphology is combined with an architectural change which can be obtained through a CNT /Silica Nano on Nano Concept: this is the goal of the Green NanONano project.
Methodology:
The project proposed to smartly use the natural nanoporous structure and the capability of controlling the deposition of metallic structures via sub-atmospheric Atomic Layer Deposition processing, to create a bio-based silica substrate embedding self-organized metallic films or islands (dependent on the plasma-assisted ALD process parameters). These metallic islands will act as a nucleation site for the selective growth of carbon nanotubes (CNT) via the catalyst-mediated chemical vapour deposition process.
A controlled nano-on nano structuration based on the siliceous porous templates has been performed leading to an outside template growth of CNT thus leading to a highly effective distribution of CNT achieved through a siliceous template acting as a dispersion vector.
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