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Free-standing laser-induced graphene heaters for efficient curing and repairing of composites

  • Composites & nanocomposites
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Abstract

Driven by sustainable development, the energy-saving manufacturing and on-site repairing processes for fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are highly desired to replace the conventional autoclave or oven. In this work, the flexible, thin free-standing laser-induced graphene (FS-LIG) film was obtained by one-step laser irradiation on polybenzoxazine resin followed by rapid quench-peeling. The FS-LIG film showed the uniform, low-voltage driven, and long-term stable Joule heating effect. With attractive Joule performance, the FS-LIG film was developed as a heater for the out-of-autoclave fabrication of FRP composites. Compared with the conventional oven curing process, the FS-LIG-based Joule heating saved around 45% of the energy required without compromising the mechanical performance of obtained composites. Moreover, the FS-LIG film was interlayered into FRP composites to prepare the self-heating patch, which could not only provide heat for the on-site repair of structural composites but also serve as the reinforcement for mechanical properties. Furthermore, the integration of FS-LIG layer enabled the cured composites with additional functionalities including temperature and mechanical sensing to monitor the structural health of composites. This easy-fabricated FS-LIG heater showed enormous practical promise in the advanced manufacturing and repairing of composites.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for the financial support from National Natural Science Foundation of China (52003282, U1909220, 52003283), Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (LR20E030001), Chinese Academy of Sciences (KFZD-SW-439), “Science and Technology Innovation 2025” Major Project of Ningbo (2018B10013), National Ten Thousand Talent Program for Young Top-notch Talents, Ten Thousand Talent Program for Young Top-notch Talents of Zhejiang Province.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1219 Zhongguan West Road, Zhenhai District, Ningbo, 315201, China

    Ye Jiang, Weiwei Zhao, Wenjie Yu, Zeqi Yu, Xinyu Xiao & Xiaoqing Liu

  2. Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, Zhejiang, China

    Xiaoqing Liu

  3. School of Material Science and Engineering, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China

    Ye Jiang, Xinyu Xiao & Weihua Zhou

  4. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Wenjie Yu

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Correspondence to Weiwei Zhao or Xiaoqing Liu.

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10853_2023_8195_MOESM1_ESM.docx

Supplementary file 1 EDS mapping images and XPS spectra; Mechanical properties; SEM morphology; Voltage, current and power data for FS-LIG heater.

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Jiang, Y., Zhao, W., Yu, W. et al. Free-standing laser-induced graphene heaters for efficient curing and repairing of composites. J Mater Sci 58, 2604–2618 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-023-08195-y

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