The photo is sourced from neftok.ru
Owing to their combination of flexibility and strength, carbon-polymer composites are among the most promising materials for the production of displays and sensors, although their use has been limited due to insufficient conductivity. The scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University have attempted to solve this problem by using asphaltenes, high-molecular components contained in natural bitumens, fuel oil, resins and other petroleum residues.
The authors dropped solutions of various asphaltenes onto a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate and then treated them with a laser. “Laser energy triggers the process of dehydrogenation, the removal of hydrogen from the molecule of the organic compound. With the destruction of the CH chain, the released carbon is used as feed to create a graphite lattice, which is formed by removing oxygen-containing groups and heteroatoms from asphaltene under the influence of the laser. This improves the properties of the newly-formed composite,” Ilya Petrov, one of the authors of the study, is quoted as saying by Tomsk Polytechnic University.
The laser approach makes it possible to use a wide range of materials as substrates, including glass, polymers, metals and ceramics. Unlike thermal annealing, plasma or chemical processing, laser processing provides precise control of surface modification to create freeform patterns. The volumetric structure of the substrate is not affected, which has a beneficial effect on the properties of the composite.
The composite obtained as a result of the study is characterised by low surface resistance, homogeneity, flexibility and mechanical stability. Thanks to these properties, it can be used as an electrode material for strain gauges, electrothermal heaters, supercapacitors and antennas.
“The technology for producing a composite based on laser processing of asphaltenes does not require high-energy processes or the use of strong acids and alkalis. It’s environmentally-friendly, optimal from an economic viewpoint, versatile and easily scalable. This makes it an efficient solution for the oil-and-gas industry in the area of disposal and processing of heavy hydrocarbon waste into useful products,” Raul Rodriguez, project leader and professor at the Research School of Chemical and Biomedical Technologies, is quoted as saying by Tomsk Polytechnic University.
