| abstract |
A method of manufacturing a cured polymer resin using functionalized graphene oxide, includes mixing functionalized graphene oxide with a resin precursor and an optional solvent to produce a functionalized graphene solution wherein the particles contain functional groups nearly identical to, or identical to, a polymer precursor material, adding a curing initiator to the resin solution and mixing to produce a resin solution, depositing the formulation into a desired shape, and curing the formulation to form a polymer having functionalized graphene oxide groups in a base polymer material. A method of producing functionalized graphene oxide includes dispersing graphene oxide into a solvent to produce dispersed graphene oxide, mixing the dispersed graphene oxide with a reactive molecule containing at least one epoxy functional group and a secondary functional group that is selected from vinyl, acrylate, methacrylate and epoxy to form a solution, adding an activation agent, heating and stirring the solution, cooling the solution, separating the particles from solution, and drying the particles to produce functionalized graphene oxide. A composition of matter includes exfoliated, functionalized graphene oxide particles, a curing initiator, a polymer precursor material, wherein the particles contain functional groups nearly identical to, or identical to, a polymer precursor material. |