Effect of carbon black silanization on isothermal curing kinetics of epoxy nanocomposites

The present study was carried out to determine the effect of carbon black (CB) nanofiller silanization and loading on isothermal curing kinetics of epoxy nanocomposites. The epoxy resin specimens incorporated with 2, 4, and 8 wt% pristine CB and silanized CB were cured at isothermal temperatures of 43, 60, and 104°C. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to characterize the curing kinetics, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was employed to confirm silanization of CB nanofillers, and scanning electron microscopy was utilized to study the morphology of nanocomposite specimens. It was also observed that the silanization did not change the curing kinetics of CB nanocomposites significantly as compared to the neat epoxy resin. However, the curing reactions of the pristine CB nanocomposites were slower than the neat epoxy resin marked by an average 10 and 4% decrease in the final degree of cure for the nanocomposite specimens cured at 43 and 60°C, respectively. The morphological studies revealed that the silanized CB particles exhibited a more stable and homogeneous dispersion in the epoxy resin than the pristine CB particles. Potential applications for the fabricated nanocomposites include sensors, actuators, and conductive coatings for electrostatic dissipation control in plastic parts.