For the commercial success of polymer - multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) composites the production of these materials on industrial scale by melt processing is of significant importance. The complete dispersion of primary MWNT agglomerates in a polymer melt is difficult to achieve, making it an important and challenging technological problem. Hence, it is necessary to understand the process of MWNT agglomerate dispersion in a polymer melt. Based on an intensive literature research on mechanisms and influencing factors on dispersion of other agglomerated nanostructured fillers (e.g. carbon black), the main dispersion steps were evaluated and investigated concerning the agglomerated MWNT.Consequently, systematic investigations were performed to study the effect of the melt infiltration on MWNT agglomerate dispersion and to analyse the corresponding main dispersion mechanisms, namely rupture and erosion. The states of MWNT agglomerate dispersion were assessed by quantifying the agglomerate area ratio and particle size distribution using image analysis of optical transmission micrographs. Additionally, the composite’s electrical resistivity was determined. In the prevailing study, polycarbonates (PC) varying in molecular weight were used to produce composites containing 1 wt% MWNT (Baytubes C150HP) as model systems and a discontinuous microcompounder was applied as melt mixing device. The agglomerate structure of the used MWNT material made them especially suitable for the reported investigations. The step of melt infiltration into the primary nanotube agglomerates plays a crucial role for their dispersion in the PC melt. During melt mixing when low shear rates were applied, better state of MWNT dispersion was obtained in high viscosity matrices because applied shear stresses were high. On the contrary, if high shear rates were applied, similar states of MWNT dispersion were obtained in low and high viscosity matrices although significantly lower shear stresses were applied in the low viscosity matrix as compared to the high viscosity matrix. The results indicate that if the applied shear stress values are compared, with increasing matrix viscosity the agglomerate dispersion gets worsen. This is attributed to the fact that low viscosity matrices can infiltrate relatively faster than high viscosity matrices into the agglomerate making them weaker and reducing the agglomerate strength. Thus, at sufficient shear rates MWNT agglomerates disperse relatively faster in low viscosity matrix. This illustrates a balance between the counteracting effects of viscosity on agglomerate infiltration and agglomerate dispersion. Additionally, the effect of matrix molecular weight on the size of un-dispersed MWNT agglomerates was investigated. Under similar conditions of applied shear stress, the composites based on low molecular weight matrix showed smaller sized un-dispersed primary agglomerates as compared to composites with higher molecular weight matrices. This again highlights the role of matrix infiltration as the first step of dispersion. Following the step of melt infiltration, agglomerate size gets reduced due to the dispersion mechanisms. To analyse the corresponding contributions of different dispersion mechanisms (rupture and erosion), the kinetics of MWNT agglomerate dispersion was investigated. If high mixing speeds are employed dispersion is quite fast and needs less time as compared to low mixing speed. A model is proposed to estimate the fractions of rupture and erosion mechanisms during agglomerate dispersion based on the kinetic study in the discontinuous mixer. Under the employed experimental conditions, at high mixing speeds, the dispersion was found to be governed by rupture dominant mechanism, whereas at low mixing speeds the dispersion was controlled by both mechanisms. As far as electrical resistivity is concerned, for a given content of MWNT as the state of dispersion improves, the resistivity values decrease significantly but only up to a plateau value. The composites produced using low viscosity matrices have lower resistivity values as compared to high viscosity matrices. Additionally, composites were prepared using additives, whereas the additives were found to be useful for improving filler dispersion and electrical conductivity.

This work characterizes the material properties of carbon infiltrated carbon nanotube (CI- CNT) structures. The impacts of temperature, time, and hydrogen flow rates on the material prop- erties of modulus of elasticity and strength are examined and compared. Carbon infiltration levels are assessed through the use of SEM images to determine which parameters give the highest level of infiltration. Through the use of SEM, carbon capping is observed on samples infiltrated for longer times at 900 and 950◦ C, suggesting that the samples are not being infiltrated during the entire desired infiltration period at these temperatures. The highest material properties of modulus and strength were reached when infiltrating the carbon nanotube forests for 150 mins at 850◦ C with hydrogen flowing at 311 sccm (0.0115 m/s). With these parameters, a modulus of 20.4 GPa and strength of 289.8 MPa were attained. The poorest results were seen when the samples were infiltrated at 800◦ C, and is therefore not recommended as an infiltration temperature if high mod- ulus and strength are desired. Density is correlated to strength and modulus and it is seen that there is a strong correlation between higher strength and modulus with higher density.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This study represents a cost-effective method to advance the physical and mechanical properties of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) prepreg composite materials, where electrospun multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/epoxy nanofibers fabricated and deposited in between the layers of traditional CFRP prepreg composite. CNT-aligned epoxy nanofibers were uniformly formed by an optimized electrospinning method. Electrospinning is considered one of the most flexible, low-cost, and globally recognized methods for generating continuous filaments from submicron to tens of nanometer diameter. Nanofilaments were incorporated precisely on the layers of prepreg to accomplish increased adhesion and interfacial bonding, leading to increased strength and enhancements in more mechanical properties. As a result, the modulus of the epoxy and CNT/epoxy nanofibers were revealed to be 3.24 GPa and 4.84 GPa, leading to 49% enhancement. Furthermore, interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and fatigue performance at high-stress regimes improved by 29% and 27%, respectively. Barely visible impact damage (BVID) energy improved considerably by up to 45%. The thermal and electrical conductivities were also increased considerably because of the highly conductive CNT networks present in between the CFRP layers. The newly introduced approach was able to deposit high content uniform CNTs at the ply interface of prepregs to enhance the CFRP properties, that has not been achieved in the past because of the randomly oriented high viscosity CNTs in epoxy resins.

This study represents a cost-effective method to advance the physical and mechanical properties of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) prepreg composite materials, where electrospun multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/epoxy nanofibers fabricated and deposited in between the layers of traditional CFRP prepreg composite. CNT-aligned epoxy nanofibers were uniformly formed by an optimized electrospinning method. Electrospinning is considered one of the most flexible, low-cost, and globally recognized methods for generating continuous filaments from submicron to tens of nanometer diameter. Nanofilaments were incorporated precisely on the layers of prepreg to accomplish increased adhesion and interfacial bonding, leading to increased strength and enhancements in more mechanical properties. As a result, the modulus of the epoxy and CNT/epoxy nanofibers were revealed to be 3.24 GPa and 4.84 GPa, leading to 49% enhancement. Furthermore, interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and fatigue performance at high-stress regimes improved by 29% and 27%, respectively. Barely visible impact damage (BVID) energy improved considerably by up to 45%. The thermal and electrical conductivities were also increased considerably because of the highly conductive CNT networks present in between the CFRP layers. The newly introduced approach was able to deposit high content uniform CNTs at the ply interface of prepregs to enhance the CFRP properties, that has not been achieved in the past because of the randomly oriented high viscosity CNTs in epoxy resins.

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Sol-Gel techniques depend on the hydrolysis and condensation reactions of organosilicon precursors in aqueous media and, thus, provide an inclusive environment with bioaffinity. On the other hand, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which possess unique electric, thermal, mechanical, and chemical properties, including their high surface area:volume ratio, can be further surface-functionalized to address different material or sensing demands. In this work we describe a new composite material that combines the unique sol-gel network with conductive CNTs. Hydrolysis and subsequent condensation of tetramethyloxysilane (TMOS) in the presence of CNTs result in the formation of a dense, homogeneous material. Properties of this composite material on electrode surfaces are discussed and novel sensing applications are described.