Effective reinforcement in carbon nanotube-polymer composites

Carbon nanotubes have mechanical properties that are far in excess of conventional fibrous materials used in engineering polymer composites. Effective reinforcement of polymers using carbon nanotubes is difficult due to poor dispersion and alignment of the nanotubes along the same axis as the applied force during composite loading. This paper reviews the mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes and their polymer composites to highlight how many previously prepared composites do not effectively use the excellent mechanical behaviour of the reinforcement. Nanomechanical tests using atomic force microscopy are carried out on simple uniaxially aligned carbon nanotube-reinforced polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibres prepared using electrospinning processes. Dispersion of the carbon nanotubes within the polymer is achieved using a surfactant. Young's modulus of these simple composites is shown to approach theoretically predicted values, indicating that the carbon nanotubes are effective reinforcements. However, the use of dispersant is also shown to lower Young's modulus of the electrospun PVA fibres.     

Anisotropic thermal diffusivity characterization of aligned carbon nanotube-polymer composites

The anisotropic thermal diffusivity of aligned carbon nanotube-polymer composites was determined using a photothermoelectric technique. The composites were obtained by infiltrating poly-dimethyl siloxane (PDMS) in aligned multiwall CNT arrays grown by chemical vapor deposition on silicon substrates. The thermal diffusivities are insensitive to temperature in the range of 180 K-300 K. The thermal diffusivity values across the alignment direction are approximately 2-4 times smaller than along the alignment direction and larger than effective media theory predictions using reported values for the thermal diffusivity of millimeter thick aligned multiwall carbon nanotube arrays. The effective room temperature thermal conductivity of the composite along the carbon nanotube alignment direction is at least 6X larger than the thermal conductivity of the polymer matrix and is in good agreement with the effective media predictions. This work indicates that infiltration of long and aligned carbon nanotube arrays is currently the most efficient method to obtain high thermal conductivity polymer composites.     

Direct measurement of the wetting behavior of individual carbon nanotubes by polymer melts: the key to carbon nanotube-polymer composites

Carbon nanotube wetting is the critical parameter for the development of nanocomposites yet, due to the lack of suitable methods of qualifying and, more importantly, quantifying nanoscale wetting and adhesion phenomena, it is often overlooked. Here, we discuss a qualitative approach that provides wetting/nonwetting information and present a microfluidics method to produce "nanodroplets" of polymers on individual carbon nanotubes which enable the direct quantification of contact angles.     

Soluble carbon nanotubes and their applications

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been the forefront of nanoscience and nanotechnology due to their unique electrical and mechanical properties and specific functions. However, due to their poor solubility in solvents, the applications using the materials have been limited. Therefore, strategic approaches toward the solubilization of CNTs are important in wide fields including chemistry, physics, biochemistry, biology, pharmaceuticals, and medical sciences. In this article, we summarize: (i) the strategic approaches toward the solubilization of CNTs using chemical and physical modifications, (ii) nanocomposites of CNTs and biological molecules including DNA, (iii) formation of CNTs with topological structures, (iv) separation of metallic and semiconducting nanotubes, (v) the preparations of films and fibers of CNTs and hybrid materials of CNTs and organic and inorganic molecules.     

Computational modeling of the thermal conductivity of single-walled carbon nanotube-polymer composites

A computational model was developed to study the thermal conductivity of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)-polymer composites. A random walk simulation was used to model the effect of interfacial resistance on the heat flow in different orientations of SWNTs dispersed in the polymers. The simulation is a modification of a previous model taking into account the numerically determined thermal equilibrium factor between the SWNTs and the composite matrix material. The simulation results agreed well with reported experimental data for epoxy and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) composites. The effects of the SWNT orientation, weight fraction and thermal boundary resistance on the effective conductivity of composites were quantified. The present model is a useful tool for the prediction of the thermal conductivity within a wide range of volume fractions of the SWNTs, so long as the SWNTs are not in contact with each other. The developed model can be applied to other polymers and solid materials, possibly even metals.     

Ceramic matrix composites containing carbon nanotubes

Due to the remarkable physical and mechanical properties of individual, perfect carbon nanotubes (CNTs), they are considered to be one of the most promising new reinforcements for structural composites. Their impressive electrical and thermal properties also suggest opportunities for multifunctional applications. In the context of inorganic matrix composites, researchers have particularly focussed on CNTs as toughening elements to overcome the intrinsic brittleness of the ceramic or glass material. Although there are now a number of studies published in the literature, these inorganic systems have received much less attention than CNT/polymer matrix composites. This paper reviews the current status of the research and development of CNT-loaded ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials. It includes a summary of the key issues related to the optimisation of CNT-based composites, with particular reference to brittle matrices and provides an overview of the processing techniques developed to optimise dispersion quality, interfaces, and density. The properties of the various composite systems are discussed, with an emphasis on toughness; a comprehensive comparative summary is provided, together with a discussion of the possible toughening mechanism that may operate. Last, a range of potential applications are discussed, concluding with a discussion of the scope for future developments in the field.     

Electro-conductive composites based on titania and carbon nanotubes

Carbon-ceramic composites have been prepared by mechanical ball-milling and ultrasonic treatment of mixtures of titania with carbon nanomaterials, and the optimal preparation conditions have been determined. The dependence of electrical conductivity of the composites on the mass fraction of carbon nanomaterials (1–5 mass. %) has been ascertained, and it has been found that a carbon nanotubes mass fraction of 3% gives rise to a sharp increase in the electrical conductivity up to 2.2 × 10^?3 S/cm. It has been shown that the carbon-ceramic composites are promising electrocatalyst supports for electrochemical applications.     

Interaction stresses in carbon nanotube-polymer nanocomposites

A new technique of atomic force microscopy interaction measurement is used to obtain the three-dimensional stress field in nanocomposites made of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix. This original approach expands the current capability of AFM from imaging and force mapping to three-dimensional stress field measurements. Latest developments in the field have been limited to three-dimensional imaging at the surface only, and one value (adhesion) force mapping. The current work provides the interaction stress results for a PMMA-SWNT nanocomposite and shows a maximum estimated load transfer of less than 7 MPa (the maximum attraction stress estimated). This value is obtained for an unfunctionalized nanocomposite and hence the interaction stress is mainly based on van der Waals interactions. This means that for this system, carbon nanotubes behave similar to an elastic-fully plastic material with a yield stress of less than 7 MPa. This phenomenon illustrates why carbon nanotubes may not show their strong mechanical properties (yield strength of above 10 GPa) in polymeric nanocomposites.     

Development of composites incorporating carbon nanofibers and nanotubes

Nanocomposites provide significantly increased modulus, thermal, and electrical properties when compared to traditional reinforced composites. Present work was undertaken to study the microstructure, thermal, and electrical properties of carbon nanostructured reinforced polymer matrix composites. Composites were made with carbon nanofibers and nanotubes (produced by CVD method) as reinforcement with thermoplastic polymers as matrices. The amount of nanoreinforcements was varied between 1 to 5 wt% in different matrices. The problems associated with dispersion of reinforcing materials have been studied. Dispersion of nanofillers in thermoplastics, microstructures, and thermal stability of the reinforced thermoplastics have been studied using SEM, DSC, and TGA. Experimental results show that small amount of carbon nanofillers present in thermoplastic matrix systems enhance the thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties of the composites.     

Reinforcing polymer composites with epoxide-grafted carbon nanotubes

An in situ functionalization method was used to graft epoxide onto single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and improve the integration of SWNTs into epoxy polymer. The characterization results of Raman, FT-IR and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) validated the successful functionalization with epoxide. These functionalized SWNTs were used to fabricate nanocomposites, resulting in uniform dispersion and strong interfacial bonding. The mechanical test demonstrated that, with only 1?wt% loading of functionalized SWNTs, the tensile strength of nanocomposites was improved by 40%, and Young's modulus by 60%.These results suggested that efficient load transfer has been achieved through epoxide-grafting. This investigation provided an efficient way to improve the interfacial bonding of multifunctional high-performance nanocomposites for lightweight structure material applications.     

Interconnected multi-walled carbon nanotubes reinforced polymer-matrix composites

A modified method for interconnecting multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was put forward. And interconnected MWCNTs by reaction of acyl chloride and amino groups were obtained. Scanning electron microscopy shows that hetero-junctions of MWCNTs with different morphologies were formed. Then specimens of pristine MWCNTs, chemically functionalized MWCNTs and interconnected MWCNTs reinforced epoxy resin composites were fabricated by cast moulding. Tensile properties and fracture surfaces of the specimens were investigated. The results show that, compared with pristine MWCNTs and chemically functionalized MWCNTs, the chemically interconnected MWCNTs improved the fracture strain and therefore the toughness of the composites significantly.     

碳纳米管复合材料的应力分析

采用三相同轴柱壳剪切滞后模型,分析含有界面层的碳纳米管复合材料中的应力场、饱和应力和应力传递效率以及碳纳米管的有效长度。碳纳米管复合材料的界面层厚度与碳纳米管直径尺度（0.1~100nm）相当,在进行应力分析时应该考虑界面层的影响。分析表明:界面层的存在以及其厚度的增大都明显地降低应力传递效率和纤维的饱和应力,但增大了碳纳米管纤维的有效长度。此外碳纳米管的长径比较小时,对应力传递效率和碳纳米管有效长度均有较明显的影响。      

Spectroscopic investigations on epoxy--multiwall carbon nanotubes composites

Room temperature electron spin resonance spectra of epoxy resins loaded with various concentrations of multiwalled carbon nanotubes of various lengths are analyzed. The resonance spectrum near the free electron line position is dominated by a single almost symmetric line assigned to delocalized electrons residing on multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The experimental research shown that: (1) The dependence of the g-factor on nanotubes length is controlled by the distortions of multiwalled carbon nanotubes. (2) The dependence of the g-factor on the concentration of multi-walled nanotubes reflects the interactions between electrons localized on different nanotubes. In insulating composites, the resonance line width broadens as the length and the concentration of multiwalled carbon nanotubes is increased. (3) For conducting composites, the dependence of the electron spin resonance line width on the length and concentration of multiwalled carbon nanotubes is controlled by Elliott contribution and exchange interactions, respectively. (4) The concentration of conduction electrons increases as the length and the concentration of multiwalled carbon nanotubes are increased.     

碳纳米管/羟基磷灰石复合材料的制备及表征

以含钴介孔分子筛为催化剂、乙醇为碳源, 采用CVD法制备碳纳米管(CNTs)。通过原位合成法制备一系列不同碳纳米管含量的碳纳米管/羟基磷灰石(CNTs/HA)复合材料。分别采用XRD、FTIR、TEM、N₂吸附-脱附和Raman光谱等分析手段, 对所合成CNTs/HA复合材料的晶相、结构、形貌和比表面积等进行了表征。同时研究了碳纳米管的添加量对所合成CNTs/HA复合材料形貌的影响。XRD与Raman结果表明, 所得CNTs/HA复合粉体中仅有CNTs与HA两种物相, 纯度较高, 结晶度较好; TEM结果显示, CNTs/HA复合材料中CNTs表面均匀包裹着一层纳米级的针状HA晶粒, 两者形成了较强的界面结合, 且当CNTs与HA的质量比为3:17时, CNTs与HA形成最佳结合状态; N₂吸附-脱附表征结果表明, 与HA的比表面积相比, CNTs/HA复合材料具有较高比表面积。     

Preparation and characterization of grafted collagen-multiwalled carbon nanotubes composites

This paper describes a new class of composite materials designed by combining multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and grafted collagen matrix. These materials show high mechanical capabilities by taking advantage of the favorable mechanical characteristics of MWCNTs. Furthermore, doping carbon nanotubes into grafted collagen matrix results in a substantial improvement of thermal stability and infrared emissivity. Thus these materials possess potential applications in some fields such as biomedicine and infrared camouflage.     

Preparation and characterization of titanate nanotubes/carbon composites

Titanate nanotubes/carbon composites(TNT/CCs) were synthesized by allowing carbon-coated TiO₂ (CCT) powder to react with a dense aqueous solution of NaOH at 120 °C for a proper period of time. As-prepared CCT and TNT/CCs were characterized by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectrometry. The processes for formation of titanate nanotubes/carbon composites were discussed. It was found that the TiO₂ particles in TiO₂-carbon composite were enwrapped by a fine layer of carbon with a thickness of about 4 nm. This carbon layer functioned to inhibit the transformation from anatase TiO₂ to orthorhombic titanate. As a result, the anatase TiO₂ in CCT was incompletely transformed into orthorhombic titanate nanotubes upon 24 h of reaction in the dense and hot NaOH solution. When the carbon layers were gradually peeled off along with the formation of more orthorhombic titanate nanotubes at extended reaction durations (e.g., 72 h), anatase TiO₂ particles in CCT were completely transformed into orthorhombic titanate nanotubes, yielding TNT/CCs whose morphology was highly dependent on the reaction time and temperature.     

多壁碳纳米管/PCL-b-PNIPAM复合材料的制备

通过对多壁碳纳米管（MWCNTs）表面修饰合成羟基化的MWCNTs,利用羟基化的MWCNTs催化己内酯开环聚合,接着与溴代异丁酰溴反应,合成MWCNTs接枝聚己内酯（PCL）的大分子引发剂,利用该大分子引发剂引发N-异丙基丙烯酰胺单体进行原子转移自由基活性聚合（ATRP）,成功制备了MWCNTs/PCL-b-PNIPAM复合材料。利用FTIR、TGA、XRD、NMR及TEM对产物进行表征。考察了MWCNTs/PCL-b-PNIPAM复合材料的结晶性能及在氯仿中的溶混性。XRD结果表明:MWCNTs/PCL-b-PNIPAM复合材料的结晶峰与PCL-b-PNIPAM嵌段共聚物基本一致,并且MWCNTs/PCL-b-PNIPAM复合材料在氯仿溶液中有很好的混溶性。      

碳纳米管/聚苯乙炔复合材料的导电性

用AlCl₃ 作催化剂制备了聚苯乙炔( PPA) , 用浓H₂SO₄ 进行磺化改性, 通过共混制得碳纳米管(CNT) /PPA 及磺化CNT/ PPA 复合材料, 进行导电性能、XRD 等测试。当CNT 含量增加时, 复合材料的电导率升高, 磺化CNT/ PPA 的导电阈值比CNT/ PPA 的导电阀值降低了1 %, 前者达到极限电导率所需CNT 的量是后者的10 %; 分析了随着温度变化影响复合材料电阻变化的因素; XRD 测试表明, 在CNT 界面上的磺化PPA 有新的晶型产生。      

碳纳米管增强陶瓷基复合材料研究进展

从制备方法和力学性能两方面出发,综述了碳纳米管增强陶瓷基复合材料的研究现状,针对研究中存在的问题,提出了相应的解决方法,并预测了其发展趋势.