5 Werkstofftechnik
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- 5 Werkstofftechnik (2) (entfernen)
Fiber-reinforced-polymers (FRPs) are in current research focus in the lightweight construction industry, because of their extraordinary characteristics (stiffness and strength-to-density relation). The structure of polymer matrix and the interaction with reinforcement are crucial for optimization of the mechanical and thermal properties of FRPs. Due to the macromolecular chain structure, the mechanical properties of a polymer strongly vary with temperature: Below the glass transition, the chain segments of a polymer are “frozen”. Regarding fracture, the total changed energy during fracture if only dissipates for the generation of the new surfaces. However, in the region of the glass transition, the polymer chain segments start to get “unfrozen”, and the energy is not only required for generating new surfaces, but also for irreversibly deformation. This irreversible deformation is affected by the global temperature and the local temperature near the crack tip, which is affected by the local strain rate and crack propagation velocity.
Hence, in this research project, the irreversible deformation of neat and reinforced polymers will be controlled by changing the global temperature as well as the local temperature. With using different fracture experiments, the amount of energy required for creating new surfaces and for the irreversible deformation will be separated. The fracture tests include the conventional tensile test, the macroscopic peel test and the single fiber peel – off test.
We invented the first non-metallic, self-adhesive and dry biosignalling electrode. The PEDOT polymer electrode changes its aggregate state and conductivity by a light curing procedure. The electrode can be applied as a gel underneath hair without shaving. With the aid of blue light, the electrode can be hardened within a few seconds at the desired location on the scalp. The cured polymer electrode is highly conductive and can be applied on a very small location. Unlike other EEG electrodes, our electrode does not lose conductivity upon drying. Furthermore, our electrode strongly bonds to Skin and does not require any additional adhesive. Short circuits due to an outflow of gel are prevented with this technique. Therefore, the PEDOT polymer electrode is extremely well suited for applications that, up to now, have been challenging, such as non-invasive EEG recordings from awake and freely moving animals, EEG recordings from preterm babies in the neonatal intensive care unit or long-term recordings in the case of sleep monitoring or epilepsy diagnostics. We addressed two technical questions in this work. First, is the EEG recorded with polymer electrodes comparable to a standard EEG? Second, is it possible to record full-band EEGs with our electrodes?