Lightweight, few-layer graphene composites with improved electro-thermal properties as efficient heating devices for de-icing applications

Abstract

Conductive polymer-based composites with electro-thermal properties are gaining great interest in several challenging technological applications. They are more and more employed as integrated heating devices within smart buildings or de-icing materials for application spanning from the aerospace sector to that of civil engineering. Their lightweight character along with high thermal efficiency and moderate production costs, make them highly attractive alternative to the use of classical electrothermal systems based on costly and heavier metals. Here we describe a convenient approach to the preparation of few-layer graphene-based (FLG) polymer composites obtained from the surface coating of selected polymer matrices with an electrically conductive and thin FLG “skin”. We demonstrated that low FLG concentrations at the outmost polymer surface, together with an excellent and homogeneous surface adhesion, allowed to get fast-responsive and lightweight heatable devices while keeping unchanged the properties of the underlying polymers. A controlled low-temperature post-treatment of the composites ensured an extremely high adhesion of FLG sheets to the hosting polymer substrate. The as-prepared composites have shown fast on/off heating response and exceptional performance once employed as lightweight and low-power heating devices with de-icing properties.