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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>FYI<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Suresh Khator<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:blue'>_______________________________________________________</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:blue'>Suresh K. Khator, Ph.D., P.E. Phone: 713-743-4205 <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:blue'>Associate Dean, College of Engineering Fax: 713-743-4214<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:blue'>University of Houston Email: skhator@uh.edu <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:blue'>E421 Engineering Bldg 2 www.egr.uh.edu/ie<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:blue'>Houston, TX 77204-4008<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:200%'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Carbon Nanofiber Composite----Synthesis and Characterization<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:200%'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Abstract<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;line-height:200%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Carbon nanofiber (CNF) composites with light weight, sustainability of large deformation, chemical stability, corrosion and fatigue resistance, and vibration and noise reduction capability can have positive impact on a wide range of applications. To improve processing control and reproducibility for large scale engineering applications, cost effective carbon nanofibers (CNFs) in form of interconnected porous network structure were used as nanofillers. Processing, microstructure, mechanical, electrical and thermal properties of carbon nanofibers reinforced polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) have been studied. Mechanical measurements on the composites show that the CNF-PDMS interfacial bonding can be until failure, interfacial debonding happens in the CNF-PDMS composites and the resulted permanent deformation stabilizes with increasing load-unload cycles with significant energy dissipation. Electrical measurements show the current density and temperature did not affect too much on this composite. And this composite has electrical recoverability and this ability relates to strain history. Thermal measurements show the thermal conductivity of pristine CNF composite is 20% larger than pure PDMS. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;line-height:200%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>By Zhengyin Zhao<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;line-height:200%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Committee member: Dr. Li Sun, Dr. Lewis T. Wheeler, Dr. Haleh Ardebili, Dr. Dong Liu<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Time: Nov 19<sup>th</sup> , 2010 10:00-12:00 AM Small conference room (N208)<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>