Effect of pectin and hemicellulose removal from hemp fibres on the mechanical properties of unidirectional hemp/epoxy composites

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of pectin and hemicellulose removal from hemp fibres on the mechanical properties of hemp fibre/epoxy composites. Pectin removal by EDTA and endo-polygalacturonase (EPG) removed epidermal and parenchyma cells from hemp fibres and improved fibre separation. Hemicellulose removal by NaOH further improved fibre surface cleanliness. Removal of epidermal and parenchyma cells combined with improved fibre separation decreased composite porosity factor. As a result, pectin removal increased composite stiffness and ultimate tensile strength (UTS). Hemicellulose removal increased composite stiffness, but decreased composite UTS due to removal of xyloglucans. In comparison of all fibre treatments, composites with 0.5% EDTA + 0.2% EPG treated fibres had the highest tensile strength of 327 MPa at fibre volume content of 50%. Composites with 0.5% EDTA + 0.2% EPG → 10% NaOH treated fibres had the highest stiffness of 43 GPa and the lowest porosity factor of 0.04.     

添加纳米碳管对高密度聚乙烯力学行为和结晶过程的影响

利用熔融法制备了一系列具有不同纳米碳管含量的纳米碳管(Q盯)／高密度聚乙烯(HDPE)复合材料。对其拉伸性能的研究结果表明，添加质量分数分别为2％，5％和10％的纳米碳管使HDPE的拉伸模量分别提高了7．4％，27．0％和28．6％，屈服强度分别提高了3．3％，14．4％和18．5％，但是会降低HDPE的断裂强度和断裂伸长率。同时，对复合材料中HDPE结晶过程的研究表明，纳米碳管可以提高HDPE的开始结晶温度，降低结晶活化能，但是会使HDPE的结晶速率下降，结晶度降低。     

Controlled retting of hemp fibres: Effect of hydrothermal pre-treatment and enzymatic retting on the mechanical properties of unidirectional hemp/epoxy composites

The objective of this work was to investigate the use of hydrothermal pre-treatment and enzymatic retting to remove non-cellulosic compounds and thus improve the mechanical properties of hemp fibre/epoxy composites. Hydrothermal pre-treatment at 100 kPa and 121 °C combined with enzymatic retting produced fibres with the highest ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 780 MPa. Compared to untreated fibres, this combined treatment exhibited a positive effect on the mechanical properties of hemp fibre/epoxy composites, resulting in high quality composites with low porosity factor (α_pf) of 0.08. Traditional field retting produced composites with the poorest mechanical properties and the highest α_pf of 0.16. Hydrothermal pretreatment at 100 kPa and subsequent enzymatic retting resulted in hemp fibre composites with the highest UTS of 325 MPa, and stiffness of 38 GPa with 50% fibre volume content, which was 31% and 41% higher, respectively, compared to field retted fibres.     

改进化学气相沉积法在炭纤维表面生长碳纳米管(英文)

采用一种改进的化学气相沉积法在炭纤维表面制备碳纳米管。为了提高炭纤维表面的润湿性能,炭纤维在浸渍之前先在CVD设备中在真空下973 K的高温处理,然后在硝酸和浓硫酸体积比为3∶1的混合酸中酸处理30 min。而改进的化学气相沉积法关键在于让催化剂的还原步骤和碳纳米管的生长步骤同时进行。这样通过减小过渡金属元素与炭纤维之间的接触时间从而降低了它们之间的相互扩散,在确保了炭纤维本身的力学性能下降程度明显小于用普通化学气相法制备的情况下生长出长且茂密的碳纳米管阵列。另外,经过对工艺参数的优化发现当用乙醇作溶剂,Fe(NO3)3.9H2O溶度为100 mmol/L,氢气和碳源气体比值为4/1,而生长时间为30 min时得到最好的碳纳米管阵列。     

Fabrication and mechanical properties of well-dispersed multiwalled carbon nanotubes/epoxy composites

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/epoxy nanocomposites were fabricated by using ultrasonication and the cast molding method. In this process, MWCNTs modified by mixed acids were well dispersed and highly loaded in an epoxy matrix. The effects of MWCNTs addition and surface modification on the mechanical performances and fracture morphologies of composites were investigated. It was found that the tensile strength improved with the increase of MWCNTs addition, and when the content of MWCNTs loading reached 8 wt.%, the tensile strength reached the highest value of 69.7 MPa. In addition, the fracture strain also enhanced distinctly, implying that MWCNTs loading not only elevated the tensile strength of the epoxy matrix, but also increased the fracture toughness. Nevertheless, the elastic modulus reduced with the increase of MWCNTs loading. The reasons for the mechanical property changes are discussed.     

Tribological behaviour and wear of carbon nanotubes grafted on carbon fibres

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) grafted on fibres are widely used to reinforce composites in order to improve their mechanical properties. This study concerned the tribological properties of CNTs grafted on carbon fibres by the flame method. The aim of this study was to determine whether CNTs on fibres suffer damage under stress, similar to those applied during composite manufacturing, which can damage composite properties, particularly fibre/matrix adhesion. For this purpose, reciprocating friction tests were performed to examine the resistance of CNTs and highlight a wear mechanism. The results showed that the presence of CNTs increased the coefficient of friction in the first friction cycles and then decreased it to close to the COF of the fibre without CNTs. The wear mechanism showed that after a small number of friction cycles, the CNTs were flattened out and formed a transfer film.     

Development of conducting polychloroprene rubber using imidazolium based ionic liquid modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes

A simplified and an eco-friendly approach to develop polychloroprene rubber composites with high electrical conductivity is reported. The usage of room temperature ionic liquid, 1-butyl 3-methyl imidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulphonyl)imide and a low concentration (5 phr) of commercial grade multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in polychloroprene rubber exhibited an electrical conductivity of 0.1 S/cm with a stretchability >500%. The physical (cation-pi/pi-pi) interaction between the ionic liquid and the MWCNTs is evidenced by Raman spectroscopy. Transmission electron microscopy images exhibit an improved dispersion of the BMI modified tubes in matrix at various magnification scales. The dependency of dynamic properties on the concentration of ionic liquid at constant loading of nanotubes supports the fact that ionic liquid assists in the formation of filler-filler networks. The tensile modulus of 3 phr loaded modified MWCNT/CR composite is increased by 50% with regard to that of the unmodified MWCNT/CR composite. Mooney-Rivlin plot displays the existence of rubber-filler interactions.     

Growth of carbon nanotubes on carbon fibre substrates to produce hybrid/phenolic composites with improved mechanical properties

Carbon nanotubes were grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on different carbon fibre substrates namely, unidirectional (UD) carbon fibre tows, bi-directional (2D) carbon fibre cloth and three dimensional (3D) carbon fibre felt. These substrates were used as the reinforcement in phenolic resin matrix to develop hybrid CF–CNT composites. The growth morphology and other characteristics of the as grown tubes were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermal gravimetry (TGA) which confirmed a copious growth of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) on these substrates. The mechanical properties of the hybrid composites was found to increase with the increasing amount of deposited carbon nanotubes. The flexural strength (FS) improved by 20% for UD, 75% for 2D and 66% for 3D hybrid composites as compared to that prepared by neat reinforcements (without CNT growth) under identical conditions. Flexural modulus (FM) of these composites also improved by 28%, 54% and 46%, respectively.     

Effect of solidification on microstructures and mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes reinforced magnesium matrix composite

A novel approach was successfully developed to fabricate bulk carbon nanotubes (CNTs) reinforced Mg matrix composites. The distribution of CNTs in the composites depends on the solidification rate. When the solidification rate was low, CNTs were pushed ahead of the solidification front and will cluster along grain boundaries. When the solidification rate was high, CNTs were captured by the solidification front, so the CNTs remained inside the grain. Moreover, good interfacial bonding was achieved in the composite under high solidification rate. Meanwhile, compared with the matrix alloy, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and yield strength (YS) of the composite were significantly improved. The mechanical properties of the composite under higher solidification rate are better than composite under low solidification rate and the alloy. Moreover, most CNTs on the fracture surfaces were directly pulled out from the matrix. The Kelly–Tyson formula agreed well with the experimental tensile value in the composite under higher solidification rate, and the load-transfer efficiency is almost equal to 1.     

Evaluation of the effective mechanical properties of single walled carbon nanotubes using a spring based finite element approach

The development of a finite element formulation that is appropriate for the computation of Young’s and Shear modulus of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is the purpose of this paper. The method utilizes the atomistic microstructure of the nanotubes. According to the three-dimensional atomic nanostructure of SWCNTs, nodes are defined at the atom locations. Appropriate spring-type elements interconnect these nodes to simulate properly interatomic interactions. This approach is implemented via the use of three-dimensional spring-like elements each node of which obeys to three translations and three rotations. In this way, molecular mechanics theory can be applied directly while the atomic bonds are modeled by using exclusively physical variables such as bond stretching, bond angle bending and torsional rotation resistance force constants. With the proposed method, the Young’s and shear modulus of numerous SWCNTs were determined. The effect of the nanotube radius and thickness on the mechanical behavior of SWCNTs was tested and demonstrated. The numerical results show good agreement with other corresponding values which are available in the literature.     

Enhancement of carbon nanotube fibres using different solvents and polymers

Liquid infiltration is an efficient way to densify carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and was used to strengthen CNT fibres in the method of array spinning. Rather than the volatility, the dipole moment of solvent plays a more important role in determining the densification level. The fibres densified by highly polar but non-volatile solvents such as N,N-dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulphoxide, and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone were 100–200 MPa stronger than those by ethanol and acetone. Ethylene glycol is the most efficient solvent due to its two polar OH groups and improved the fibre strength to 1.45 GPa. Long chain or cross-linked polymers like polyvinyl alcohol, polyimide, and bismaleimide (BMI) were introduced into CNT fibres by infiltration with aid of polar solvents. These polymers reinforced the fibres significantly, as they can connect non-neighboring CNTs and benefit the load transfer. The strongest CNT/BMI fibre was 2.38 GPa in strength and 110 GPa in modulus.     

Influence of different carbon nanotubes on the mechanical properties of epoxy matrix composites – A comparative study

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in general are considered to be highly potential fillers to improve the material properties of polymers. However, questions concerning the appropriate type of CNTs, e.g., single-wall CNTs (SWCNT), double-wall CNTs (DWCNT) or multi-wall CNTs (MWCNT), and the relevance of a surface functionalisation are still to be answered. This first part of the study focuses on the evaluation of the different types of nanofillers applied, their influence on the mechanical properties of epoxy-based nanocomposites and the relevance of surface functionalisation. The nanocomposites produced exhibited an enhanced strength and stiffness and even more important, a significant increase in fracture toughness (43% at 0.5 wt% amino-functionalised DWCNT). The influence of filler content, the varying dispersibility, the aspect ratio, the specific surface area and an amino-functionalisation on the composite properties are discussed and correlated to the identified micro-mechanical mechanisms.     

Microstructure changes of polyurethane by inclusion of chemically modified carbon nanotubes at low filler contents

The surface of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was modified to introduce acidic groups in either covalent or van der Waals interaction bonding environments to establish cross-linking sites with a host polymer. Nanocomposites based on a polyurethane matrix (PU) containing chemically functionalised multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been shown to alter its mechanical performance depending on the nature of the surface functional groups on MWCNTs, which correlates to the type of bonding interaction of the surface group and also the dispersibility of MWCNTs and their influence on the domain structure of polyurethane. The stress at break for nanocomposites containing 0.25 wt% of acid-oxidised MWCNTs (MWCNT-ox), bearing covalently attached carboxylic, lactone and phenolic groups, was twice that of the native PU and Young’s Modulus for the nanocomposites increased by four times. Whereas when hemin, which contains carboxylic functionality, was immobilised to the surface of pure MWCNTs, the improvement in Young’s Modulus was only around twice that of pure PU. Differences in the disaggregation of MWCNTs into PU were observed between the samples as well as variation of the native domain structure of PU. The results also infer that the purification of MWCNTs from acid-oxidative lattice fragments (fulvic acids) is vital prior to conducting surface chemistry and polymerisation in order to ensure maximum mechanical performance enhancement in their reinforcement of the host polymer.     

Vibration damping characteristics of carbon fiber-reinforced composites containing multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Vibration damping characteristic of nanocomposites and carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites (CFRPs) containing multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been studied using the free and forced vibration tests. Several vibration parameters are varied to characterize the damping behavior in different amplitudes, natural frequencies and vibration modes. The damping ratio of the hybrid composites is enhanced with the addition of CNTs, which is attributed to sliding at the CNT-matrix interfaces. The damping ratio is dependent on the amplitude as a result of the random orientation of CNTs in the epoxy matrix. The natural frequency shows negligible influence on the damping properties. The forced vibration test indicates that the damping ratios of the CFRP composites increase with increasing CNT content in both the 1st and 2nd vibration modes. The CNT-epoxy nanocomposites also show similar increasing trends of damping ratio with CNT content, indicating the enhanced damping property of CFRPs arising mainly from the improved damping property of the modified matrix. The dynamic mechanical analysis further confirms that the CNTs have a strong influence on the composites damping properties. Both the dynamic loss modulus and loss factor of the nanocomposites and the corresponding CFRPs show consistent increases with the addition of CNTs, an indication of enhanced damping performance.     

Electrical and mechanical characterization of stretchable multi-walled carbon nanotubes/polydimethylsiloxane elastomeric composite conductors

Stretchable, elastomeric composite conductor made of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) has been fabricated by simple mixing. Electrical percolation threshold, amount of filler at which a sharp decrease of resistance occurs, has been determined to be ∼0.6 wt.% of MWNTs. The percolation threshold composition has also been confirmed from swelling experiments of the composite; the equilibrium swelling ratio slightly increases up to ∼0.6 wt.%, then decreases at higher amount of filler MWNTs. Upon cyclic stretching/release of the composite, a fully reversible electrical behavior has been observed for composites having filler content below the percolation threshold value. On the other hand, hysteretic behavior was observed for higher filler amount than the threshold value, due to rearrangement of percolative paths upon the first cycle of stretching/release. Finally, mechanical moduli of the composites have been measured and compared by buckling and microtensile test. The buckling-based measurement has led to systematically higher (∼20%) value of moduli than those from microtensile measurement, due to the internal microstructure of the composite. The elastic conductor may help the implementation of various stretchable electronic devices.     

Thermal and mechanical properties of phenolic-based composites reinforced by carbon fibres and multiwall carbon nanotubes

The thermal, mechanical and ablation properties of carbon fibre/phenolic composites filled with multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were investigated. Carbon fibre/phenolic/MWCNTs were prepared using different weight percentage of MWCNTs by compression moulding. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), flexural tests, thermal gravimetric analysis and oxyacetylene torch tests. The thermal stability and flexural properties of the nanocomposites increased by increasing MWCNTs content (wt% ⩽1), but they decreased when the content of MWCNTs was 2 wt%. The linear and mass ablation rates of the nanocomposites after modified with 1 wt% MWCNTs decreased by about 80% and 52%, respectively. To investigate the material post-test microstructure, a morphological characterization was carried out using SEM. It was shown that the presence of MWCNTs in the composite led to the formation of a strong network char layer without any cracks or opening.     

Effect of multi-wall carbon nanotubes on the mechanical properties of natural rubber

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were used to prepare natural rubber (NR) nanocomposites. Our first effort to achieve nanostructures in MWNTs/NR nanocomposites were formed by incorporating carbonnanotubes in a polymer solution and subsequently evaporating the solvent. Using this technique, nanotubess can be dispersed homogeneously in the NR matrix in an attempt to increase the mechanical properties of these nanocomposites. The properties of the nanocomposites such as tensile strength, tensile modulus, tear strength, elongation at break and hardness were studied. Mechanical test results show an increase in the initial modulus for up to 12 times in relation to pure NR. In addition to mechanical testing, the dispersion state of the MWNTs into NR was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in order to understand the morphology of the resulting system. According to the present study, application of the physical and mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes to NR can result in rubber products which have improved mechanical, physical and chemical properties, compared with existing rubber products reinforced with carbon black or silicone.     

Effects of grafted chain length on mechanical and electrical properties of nanocomposites containing polylactide-grafted carbon nanotubes

We herein report the effects of interfacial reinforcement on mechanical and electrical properties of nanocomposites based on polylactide (PLA) and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT). For this purpose, a series of MWCNTs grafted with PLA chains of various lengths (MWCNT-g-PLAs) were prepared by ring-opening polymerization of l-lactide with carboxylic acid-functionalized MWCNT (MWCNT-COOH). MWCNT-g-PLAs were then mixed with commercial PLA to obtain PLA/MWCNT-g-PLA nanocomposites with 1.0 wt.% MWCNT content. It was revealed that morphological, mechanical, and electrical properties of PLA/MWCNT-g-PLA nanocomposites were strongly dependent on the PLA chain length of MWCNT-g-PLAs. FE-SEM images exhibited that the nanocomposites containing MWCNT-g-PLA with longer PLA chain length exhibited better dispersion of MWCNTs in the PLA matrix. Initial moduli and tensile strengths of PLA/MWCNT-g-PLA composites increased with the increment of chain length of PLA grafted on MWCNTs, which attributes to the improved interfacial adhesion between the grafted PLA chains of MWCNT-g-PLA and the PLA matrix. As a result, the experimental initial modulus (2775 ± 193 MPa) of the nanocomposite including MWCNT-g-PLA with PLA chains of average molecular weight of 530 g/mol was quite close to the theoretical value (2911 MPa) predicted for the nanocomposite with perfect interfacial adhesion. Unexpectedly, electrical resistivities of PLA/MWCNT-g-PLA nanocomposites were found to increase from ∼10⁴ to ∼10¹² Ω/sq with increasing the PLA chain length of MWCNT-g-PLA, which is due to the fact that the PLA chains grafted on MWCNTs prevent the formation of the electrical conduction path of MWCNTs in the PLA matrix.     

Stress transfer in multi-walled carbon nanotubes

The interaction and load transfer between the multiple shells of a multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) are the subject of intense research by both analysts and experimentalists. Observations of both lubricated sliding and adhesion between individual shells in MWNT have been observed. While the atomic interactions due to simple separation have been successfully modeled by the Lennard-Jones interaction potential for graphene structures, modeling of the shearing deformation mode has been problematic. In the present work, the authors utilize two approaches in continuum mechanics to examine the shearing transfer between shells in a MWNT subjected to extensional and torsional loading wherein the load is transferred through the outermost shell to interior shells. The first approach follows the earlier developments of the authors wherein imperfect bonding between the shells is governed by a shearing transfer efficiency that varies between perfect bonding and zero shearing traction. The second approach utilizes a classical shear lag model to study the shearing transfer between the shells. A comparison between the shear lag and shear transfer models shows the equivalence of the two approaches for two-shell MWNT and numerical solutions are presented for the shear lag model for multiple layers beyond two. Agreement between the two models for multi-shells is demonstrated by varying an adjustable parameter that depends solely on the MWNT geometry. The simplicity of the shear transfer model as compared to the shear lag model constitutes an important advantage. The fundamental discrepancy between the two models lies in the fact that length dependence is inherent to the shear lag analysis, while according to the shear transfer model, stress transfer does not depend explicitly on length.     

Investigation of temperature effect on the mechanical properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes

A temperature-related higher-order gradient continuum theory is proposed for predicting the mechanical properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) at various temperatures. It is found that the axial elastic moduli of zigzag (21, 0), armchair (12, 12) and chiral (15, 9) SWCNTs with similar radii approach 0.7 TPa when T = 0 K, but decline slightly on different slopes. These results indicate that the temperature effect influences the axial Young moduli of zigzag SWCNTs less than those of the other types. Moreover, the parameters λ₁ and λ₂ corresponding to the uniform longitudinal and circumferential stretches at different temperatures are also examined, and the results show that with an increasing temperature, all SWCNTs are stretched in the longitudinal direction, while in the circumferential direction, only the zigzag SWCNTs are stretched, whereas the others are compressed.