Realization of 3D epoxy resin/Ti3C2Tx MXene aerogel composites for low-voltage electrothermal heating

Suitable electrothermal materials with high heating rates at low electric power are highly desirable for de-icing and thermal management applications. Herein, 3D epoxy resin/Ti3C2Tx MXene composites are synthesised and shown to be promising candidates for electrothermal heaters where the MXene serves as a nanoheater and the epoxy resin spreads the heat. A unidirectional freeze-casting technique was used to prepare an anisotropic Ti3C2Tx aerogel into which epoxy resin was then vacuum infiltrated and cured. The resulting composite showed an excellent Joule heating performance over repeated heating-cooling cycles. A steady-state temperature of 123 degrees C was obtained by applying a low voltage of 2 V with 5.1 A current, giving a total power output of 6.1 W cm(-2). Such epoxy/MXene aerogel composites, prepared by a simple and cost-effective manner, offer a potential alternative to the traditional metal-based and nanocarbon-based electrothermal materials.

Automated summary

The study presents a novel 3D epoxy resin/Ti3C2Tx MXene composite material prepared using a unidirectional freeze-casting technique, demonstrating excellent Joule heating performance for electrothermal applications. The composite offers a potential alternative to traditional metal-based and nanocarbon-based electrothermal materials, providing a simple and cost-effective method for preparation.