Graphene Mesosponge Polymer Fixing Member Thermal Flexibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing polymer material molded products used for fixing members, artificial muscles, and sensors face a trade-off between thermal conduction and flexibility, as increasing thermal conduction with carbon materials like carbon black reduces flexibility.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a porous carbon material known as graphene mesosponge, which has specific X-ray diffraction spectral characteristics, to enhance both thermal conduction and flexibility by providing high thermal conductivity and elasticity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If carbon black is blended in polymer material to impart thermal conduction property, then thermal conduction is improved, but flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies porous carbon material with a porous structure to replace conventional carbon black. This porous structure provides high thermal conductivity while maintaining flexibility, as the porous architecture allows for heat transfer pathways without requiring high filler content that would compromise flexibility. The porous carbon material achieves thermal conduction property improvement while preserving the flexibility of the polymer material molded product.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system combining polymer material with porous carbon material. This composite approach allows optimization of both thermal conduction and flexibility by selecting appropriate ratios and configurations of the composite components. The porous carbon material acts as a thermal conductive filler that maintains the flexibility characteristics of the base polymer material.
2Temperature
If carbon material content is increased to enhance thermal conduction, then thermal conduction property is improved, but mechanical strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The porous carbon material provides efficient thermal conduction pathways through its porous structure, allowing high thermal conductivity to be achieved at lower filler content levels. This reduces the negative impact on mechanical strength that would otherwise result from high carbon black content. The porous architecture enables thermal transport without requiring excessive filler that would compromise mechanical integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the carbon material from conventional carbon black to porous carbon material with specific structural characteristics. This parameter change includes the porous structure, surface area, and thermal conductivity properties, which allow achieving high thermal conduction with lower filler content, thereby preserving mechanical strength.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The graphene mesosponge improves the thermal conduction and flexibility of polymer material molded products, allowing for faster warm-up times, reduced fixing unevenness, and improved followability on irregular surfaces, while maintaining mechanical strength.
Implementation Method 1
a carbon material such as carbon black is blended in a polymer material molded product used for an elastic layer of a fixing member, an artificial muscle, a pressure sensor, a tactile sensor, or the like, in order to impart thermal conduction property
Data Source
AI summary
A polymer material molded product includes a polymer material and a porous carbon material having an X-ray diffraction spectral characteristic shown in the following (1) or (2),(1): a peak derived from a (002) plane of carbon is observed, a half width of the peak derived from the (002) plane of carbon is 5° or more, and a half width of a peak derived from a (10) plane of carbon is 3.2° or less, and(2): the peak derived from the (002) plane of carbon is not observed, and the half width of the peak derived from the (10) plane of carbon is 3.2° or less.