Experimental study of mechanical and electrical properties of carbon nanofiber/epoxy composites

Epoxy nanocomposites of different content of carbon nanofibers up to 1 wt.% have been fabricated under room temperature and refrigerated curing conditions. The composites were studied in terms of mechanical and electrical properties. Flexural modulus and hardness were found to increase significantly in refrigerated samples due to prevention of aggregates of nanofibers during cure condition. Increase and shifting in G-band by Raman spectra of these samples confirmed stress transfer and reinforcement between epoxy matrix and carbon nanofiber. Electrical conductivity improved by 3–6 orders after infusing carbon nanofibers in insulating epoxy. Room temperature samples acquired higher conductivity that was attributed to network formation by aggregates of nanofibers along the fiber alignment direction as revealed by electron microscopic studies.