Characterization of transverse tensile, interlaminar shear and interlaminate fracture in CF/EP laminates with 10 wt% and 20 wt% silica nanoparticles in matrix resins

The transverse tensile properties, interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and mode I and mode II interlaminar fracture toughness of carbon fibre/epoxy (CF/EP) laminates with 10 wt% and 20 wt% silica nanoparticles in matrix were investigated, and the influences of silica nanoparticle on those properties of CF/EP laminates were characterized. The transverse tensile properties and mode I interlaminar fracture toughness (G_IC) increased with an increase in nanosilica concentration in the matrix resins. However, ILSS and the mode II interlaminar fracture toughness (G_IIC) decreased with increasing nanosilica concentration, especially for the higher nanosilica concentration (20 wt%). The reduced G_IIC value is attributed to two main competing mechanisms; one is the formation of zipper-like pattern associated with matrix microcracks aligned 45° ahead of the crack tip, while the other is the shear failure of matrix. The ratio of G_IIC/G_IC decreased with the concentration of silica nanoparticles, comparable with similar CF/EP laminates with dispersed CNTs in matrix. Fractographic studies showed that interfacial failure between carbon fibre and epoxy resin occurred in the neat epoxy laminate, whereas a combination of interfacial failure and matrix failure occurred in the nanosilica-modified epoxy laminates, especially those with a higher nanosilica concentration (20 wt%).     

Temperature dependence of electrical conductivity in double-wall and multi-wall carbon nanotube/polyester nanocomposites

The aim of this study is to investigate temperature dependence of electrical conductivity of carbon nanotube (CNT)/polyester nanocomposites from room temperature to 77 K using four-point probe test method. To produce nanocomposites, various types and amounts of CNTs (0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 wt.%) were dispersed via 3-roll mill technique within a specially formulized resin blend of thermoset polyesters. CNTs used in the study include multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNT) with and without amine functional groups (–NH₂). It was observed that the incorporation of carbon nanotubes into resin blend yields electrically percolating networks and electrical conductivity of the resulting nanocomposites increases with increasing amount of nanotubes. However, nanocomposites containing amino functionalized carbon nanotubes exhibit relatively lower electrical conductivity compared to those with non-functionalized carbon nanotubes. To get better interpretation of the mechanism leading to conductive network via CNTs with and without amine functional groups, the experimental results were fitted to fluctuation-induced tunneling through the barriers between the metallic regions model. It was found that the results are in good agreement with prediction of proposed model.     

超支化聚合物修饰碳纳米管的研究进展

碳纳米管(CNTs)具有极高的杨氏模量、硬度和韧性、良好的导电性和导热性,但由于其分散性差,限制了其应用范围。超支化聚合物(HBP)具有低粘度、高流变性和良好的溶解性,特别是末端含有大量的活性官能团。用HBP修饰CNTs,不仅可以提高CNTs在聚合物基体中的分散性,改善CNTs与基体之间的相容性和界面粘接性能,还可以赋予CNTs新的功能。因此,综述了超支化聚合物改性CNTs的方法,包括直接改性法、表面引发聚合法等方法,并指出了每种改性方法的优缺点及其发展前景。     

Effect of surfactant treatment on thermal stability and mechanical properties of CNT/polybenzoxazine nanocomposites

The mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of polybenzoxazine nanocomposites containing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) functionalized with surfactant are studied. The results are specifically compared with the corresponding properties of epoxy-based nanocomposites. The CNTs bring about significant improvements in flexural strength, flexural modulus, storage modulus and glass transition temperature, T_g, of CNT/polybenzoxazine nanocomposites at the expense of impact fracture toughness. The surfactant treatment has a beneficial effect on the improvement of these properties, except the impact toughness, through enhanced CNT dispersion and interfacial interaction. The former four properties are in general higher for the CNT/polybenzoxazine nanocomposites than the epoxy counterparts, and vice versa for the impact toughness. The addition of CNTs has an ameliorating effect of lowering the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of polybenzoxazine nanocomposites in both the regions below and above T_g, whereas the reverse is true for the epoxy nanocomposites. This observation has a particular implication of exploiting the CNT/polybenzoxazine nanocomposites in applications requiring low shrinkage and accurate dimensional control.     

Self sensing carbon nanotube (CNT) and nanofiber (CNF) cementitious composites for real time damage assessment in smart structures

The self sensing properties of cementitious composites reinforced with well dispersed carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers were investigated. The electrical resistance of cementitious nanocomposites with w/c = 0.3 reinforced with well dispersed carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and nanofibers (CNFs) at an amount of 0.1 wt% and 0.3 wt% of cement was experimentally determined and compared with resistivity results of nanocomposites fabricated with “as received” nanoscale fibers at the same loading. Results indicate that conductivity measurements, besides being a valuable tool in evaluating the smart properties of the nanocomposites, may provide a good correlation between the resistivity values measured and the degree of dispersion of the material in the matrix. The addition of CNTs and CNFs at different loadings was proven to induce a decrease in electrical resistance, with the nanocomposites containing 0.1 wt% CNTs yielding better electrical properties. Furthermore, conductivity measurements under cyclic compressive loading provided an insight in the piezoresistive properties of selected nanocomposites. Results confirm that nanocomposites, reinforced with 0.1 wt% CNTs and CNFs, exhibited an increased change in resistivity, which is indicative of the amplified sensitivity of the material in strain sensing.     

Evaluation and modelling of electrically conductive polymer nanocomposites with carbon nanotube networks

Superior electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have made them effective filler for multifunctional polymer nanocomposites (PNCs). In particular, electrically conductive PNCs filled with CNTs have been researched extensively. These studies aimed to increase the PNCs' electrical conductivity (σ) and to minimize the percolation thresholds (ϕ_c). In this work, we have developed an improved model to describe the CNT networks and thereby evaluate the PNCs' ϕ_c and σ. The new model accounts for the electrical conductance contributed by the continued CNT network across the boundary of adjacent representative volume elements. It more realistically represents the interconnectivity among CNTs and enhances the evaluation of the structure-to-property relationship of PNCs' σ.     

A comprehensive study on thermal conductivities of wavy carbon nanotube-reinforced cementitious nanocomposites

The thermal conductivities of cementitious nanocomposites reinforced by wavy carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are determined by the effective medium (EM) micromechanics-based method. The nanocomposite is composed of sinusoidally wavy CNTs as reinforcement and cement paste as matrix. The interfacial region between the CNTs and cementitious material is considered in the analysis. The effects of volume fraction and waviness parameters of CNTs, interfacial thermal resistance, type of CNTs placement within the matrix including aligned or randomly oriented CNTs, cement paste properties on the thermal conductivity coefficients of the nanocomposite are studied. The estimated values of the model are in very good agreement with available experimental data. Two parameters of CNT waviness and interfacial region contributions should be included in the modeling to predict realistic results for both aligned and randomly oriented CNT-reinforced nanocomposites. The results reveal that thermal conductivities K₂₂ (transverse in-plane thermal conductivity) and K₃₃ (longitudinal in-plane thermal conductivity) of the nanocomposites are remarkably dependent on the CNT waviness. Also, it is found that the CNT waviness moderately affects the thermal conductivity of a cementitious nanocomposite containing randomly oriented CNTs. However, the non-straight shape of CNTs does not influence the value of thermal conductivity K₁₁ (transverse out of plane thermal conductivity). The achieved results can be useful to guide the design of cementitious nanocomposites with optimal thermal conductivity properties.     

Effect of (Mn + Cr) addition on the microstructure and thermal stability of spray-formed hypereutectic Al–Si alloys

This study aims to investigate the tensile mechanical behavior and fracture toughness of vinyl-ester/polyester hybrid nanocomposites containing various types of nanofillers, including multi- and double-walled carbon nanotubes with and without amine functional groups (MWCNTs, DWCNTs, MWCNT-NH₂ and DWCNT-NH₂). To prepare the resin suspensions, very low contents (0.05, 0.1 and 0.3 wt.%) of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were dispersed within a specially synthesized styrene-free polyester resin, conducting 3-roll milling technique. The collected resin stuff was subsequently blended with vinyl-ester via mechanical stirring to achieve final suspensions prior to polymerization. Nanocomposites containing MWCNTs and MWCNT-NH₂ were found to exhibit higher tensile strength and modulus as well as larger fracture toughness and fracture energy compared to neat hybrid polymer. However, incorporation of similar contents of DWCNTs and DWCNT-NH₂ into the hybrid resin did not reflect the same improvement in the corresponding mechanical properties. Furthermore, experimentally measured elastic moduli of the nanocomposites containing DWCNTs, DWCNT-NH₂, MWCNTs and MWCNT-NH₂ were fitted to Halphin–Tsai model. Regardless of amine functional groups or content of carbon nanotubes, MWCNT modified nanocomposites exhibited better agreement between the predicted and the measured elastic moduli values compared to nanocomposites with DWCNTs. Furthermore, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to reveal dispersion state of the carbon nanotubes within the hybrid polymer and to examine the CNT induced failure modes that occurred under mechanical loading, respectively. Based on the experimental findings obtained, it was emphasized that the types of CNTs and presence of amine functional groups on the surface of CNTs affects substantially the chemical interactions at the interface, thus tuning the ultimate mechanical performance of the resulting nanocomposites.     

Influence of the Hybrid Combination of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene Oxide on Interlaminar Mechanical Properties of Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Laminates

An effective strategy to improve the mode I and mode II interlaminar fracture toughness (G _IC and G _IIC ) of unidirectional carbon fiber/epoxy (CF/E) laminates using a hybrid combination of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and graphene oxide (GO) is reported. Double cantilever beam (DCB) and end notched flexure (ENF) tests were conducted to evaluate the G _IC and G _IIC of the CF/E laminates fabricated with sprayed MWCNTs, GO and MWCNTs/GO hybrid. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to observe the fracture surfaces of tested DCB and ENF specimens. Experimental results showed the positive effect on the G _IC and G _IIC by 17% and 14% improvements on CF/E laminates with 0.25 wt.% MWCNTs/GO hybrid content compared to the neat CF/E. Also, the interlaminar shear strength value was increased for MWCNTs/GO-CF/E laminates. A synergetic effect between MWCNTs and GO resulted in improved interlaminar mechanical properties of CF/E laminates made by prepregs.     

Fracture Toughness (Mode-I) of Para-Aramid/Phenolic Nano Preform Composites

The mode-I interlaminar toughness properties of nanostitched para-aramid/phenolic multiwall carbon nanotube composites were studied. The toughness strength of the stitched and stitched/nano composites demonstrated 40 fold and 38 fold (beam theory) increases compared to the base composites, respectively. It was found that stitching yarn type, especially prepreg para-aramid stitching yarn, was effective. On the other hand, the initiation and propagation of the G_IC values for stitched and stitched/nano composites were considerably deviated due to strengthening mechanism of the para-aramid stitch yarn in the transverse direction of the composite. The fracture toughness resistance to arrest crack propagation in the stitched/nano composite was mainly due to through-the-thickness stitching fiber bridging and pull-out, and was also due to warp and weft directional fiber bridging and multiwall carbon nanotubes. The results demonstrated that mainly stitching and some extent the nanotubes arrested the crack growth. Therefore, the stitched/nano and especially stitched para-aramid/phenolic composites showed a better damage resistance performance.     

New alignment procedure of magnetite–CNT hybrid nanofillers on epoxy bulk resin with permanent magnets

The main properties of epoxy composites reinforced with aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been studied. The alignment was carried out in a specific designed device applying a weak magnetic field (0.3 T) with permanent magnets. CNTs were modified with magnetite nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄) functionalized, in a one-stage-process which does not require use of strong acids or aggressive treatments which could affect the structural integrity of CNTs. The study by transmission electron microscopy confirmed that the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were closely bonded over CNT surfaces. The thermo-mechanical and tensile properties of composites measured were higher than neat epoxy resin and were similar for both composites: reinforced with neat CNTs and magnetite–CNT hybrid nanofillers. The electrical behaviour indicates a high anisotropy for aligned composites, showing an increase of one order of magnitude for the electrical conductivity in the direction of aligned nanotubes.     

Influence of Fe nanoparticles diameters on the structure and electron emission studies of carbon nanotubes and multilayer graphene

In this paper we report the effect of Fe film thickness on the growth, structure and electron emission characteristics of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and multilayer graphene deposited on Si substrate. It is observed that the number of graphitic shells in carbon nanostructures (CNs) varies with the thickness of the catalyst depending on the average size of nanoparticles. Further, the Fe nanoparticles do not catalyze beyond a particular size of nanoclusters leading to the formation of multilayer graphene structure, instead of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). It is observed that the crystallinity of CNs enhances upon increasing the catalyst thickness. Multilayer graphene structures show improved crystallinity in comparison to CNTs as graphitic to defect mode intensity ratio (I_D/I_G) decreases from 1.2 to 0.8. However, I_2D/I_G value for multilayer graphene is found to be 1.1 confirming the presence of at least 10 layers of graphene in these samples. CNTs with smaller diameter show better electron emission properties with enhancement factor (γ_C = 2.8 × 10³) in comparison to multilayer graphene structure (γ_C = 1.5 × 10³). The better emission characteristics in CNTs are explained due to combination of electrons from edges as well as centers in comparison to the multilayer graphene.     

CF/EP composite laminates with carbon black and copper chloride for improved electrical conductivity and interlaminar fracture toughness

An experimental study was conducted to improve the electrical conductivity of continuous carbon fibre/epoxy (CF/EP) composite laminate, with simultaneous improvement in mechanical performance, by incorporating nano-scale carbon black (CB) particles and copper chloride (CC) electrolyte into the epoxy matrix. CF/EP laminates of 65 vol.% of carbon fibres were manufactured using a vacuum-assisted resin infusion (VARI) technique. The effects of CB and the synergy of CB/CC on electrical resistivity, tensile strength and elastic modulus and fracture toughness (K_IC) of the epoxy matrix were experimentally characterised, as well as the transverse tensile modulus and strength, Mode I and Mode II interlaminar fracture toughness of the CF/EP laminates. The results showed that the addition of up to 3.0 wt.% CB in the epoxy matrix, with the assistance of CC, noticeably improved the electrical conductivity of the epoxy and the CF/EP laminates, with mechanical performance also enhanced to a certain extent.     

A surfactant dispersed SWCNT-polystyrene composite characterized for electrical and mechanical properties

Single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were dispersed in polystyrene (PS) at 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 1.0 wt.% (weight percent) concentrations using a surfactant assisted method. The resulting nanocomposites were characterized for their electrical conductivity, mechanical strength and fracture toughness properties. Results show a significant improvement in electrical conductivity with electrical percolation occurring by 0.2 wt.% SWCNT loading and the SWCNT-PS nanocomposite fully conductive at 1.0 wt.%. Three-point bend tests showed a decline in flexural strength and break strain with the addition of 0.1 wt.% SWCNTs. Improvements in the flexural modulus, strength and break strain with increasing SWCNT wt.% content followed The fracture toughness of the SWCNT-PS nanocomposites, in terms of the critical stress-intensity factor K_IC, was reduced relative to the neat material. From optical and high resolution scanning electron microscopy the presence of the carbon nanotubes is shown to have an adverse effect on the crazing mechanism in this PS material, resulting in a deterioration of the mechanical properties that depend on this mechanism.     

Effect of CNTs on morphology and electromagnetic properties of non-firing CNTs/silica composite ceramics

Carbon composite ceramics have much attention for industry because of their excellent properties such as strong toughness, high electrical conductivity as well as low percolation threshold. Therefore, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were used to incorporate with silica ceramics in order to improve their electromagnetic properties. The amount of CNTs in CNTs/silica composite ceramics was varied in order to investigate its effect on morphologies and electromagnetic properties of those. The composites were successfully fabricated by non-firing process. The results revealed that the obtained CNTs/silica composite ceramic have an electrical resistivity of 66.6?Ω·cm with a bending strength of 13.8?MPa. At the same time, the electromagnetic wave absorption ability achieved 70% over a wild frequency. This indicates that the CNTs in CNTs/silica composite ceramics may be potentially applied for an electromagnetic wave reflective material.     

Effects of the surface treatment on the properties of polyaniline coated carbon nanotubes/epoxy composites

The effects of a surface treatment of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the electrical conductivity and the hydrophilicity of a polyaniline (PAni) coated CNTs (PAni-CNTs)/epoxy (EP) composites were examined. The surface of the CNTs was treated with various chemicals, such as acid mixtures (HNO₃:H₂SO₄), potassium persulfate (KPS) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), to improve their dispersion and reactivity with PAni. The electrical conductivity and hydrophilicity of PAni-CNTs and their EP composites were strongly affected by the surface treatment of the CNTs. The surface-treating materials remained on the surface of the CNTs affected the reactivity of the CNTs surface to PAni, and thus resulted in different PAni amounts in the PAni-CNTs. The electrical conductivity of the PAni-CNTs/EP composites decreased, but the hydrophilicity increased, with increasing the amount of PAni coating on the CNTs surface.     

Effects of carbon nanotube alignment on electrical and mechanical properties of epoxy nanocomposites

This paper reports the alignment of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in an epoxy matrix as a result of DC electric fields applied during composite curing. Optical microscopy and polarized Raman spectroscopy are used to confirm the CNT alignment. The alignment of CNTs gives rise to much improved electrical conductivity, elastic modulus and quasi-static fracture toughness compared to those with CNTs of random orientation. An extraordinarily low electrical percolation threshold of about 0.0031 vol% is achieved when measured along the alignment, which is more than one order of magnitude lower than 0.034 vol% with random orientation or that measured perpendicular to the aligned CNTs. The examination of the fracture surfaces identifies pertinent toughening mechanisms in aligned CNT composites, namely crack tip deflection and CNT pullout. The significance of this paper is that the technique employed here can tailor the physical, mechanical and fracture properties of bulk nanocomposites even at a very low CNT concentration.     

Synthesis of nano-carbon (nanotubes,nanofibres, graphene) materials

In the present study, we report the synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using a new natural precursor: castor oil. The CNTs were synthesized by spray pyrolysis of castor oil-ferrocene solution at 850°C under an Ar atmosphere. We also report the synthesis of carbon nitrogen (C-N) nanotubes using castor oil-ferrocene-ammonia precursor. The as-grown CNTs and C-N nanotubes were characterized through scanning and transmission electron microscopic techniques. Graphitic nanofibres (GNFs) were synthesized by thermal decomposition of acetylene (C₂H₂) gas using Ni catalyst at 600°C. As-grown GNFs reveal both planar and helical morphology. We have investigated the structural and electrical properties of multi-walled CNTs (MWNTs)-polymer (polyacrylamide (PAM)) composites. The MWNTs-PAM composites were prepared using as purified, with ball milling and functionalized MWNTs by solution cast technique and characterized through SEM. A comparative study has been made on the electrical property of these MWNTs-PAM composites with different MWNTs loadings. It is shown that the ball milling and functionalization of MWNTs improves the dispersion of MWNTs into the polymer matrix. Enhanced electrical conductivity was observed for the MWNTs-PAM composites. Graphene samples were prepared by thermal exfoliation of graphite oxide. XRD analysis confirms the formation of graphene.     

Preparation and Application of Flexible Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Adhesive Composites by Ultrasonic-Assisted Forced Infiltration

Herein, carbon nanotubes (CNTs)–cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs)/ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) composite are prepared with excellent bonding properties, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity using an ultrasonic-assisted forced infiltration (UAFI) method. The CNTs–CNCs (10:1)/EVA composite had the highest shear (82.9 N) and strip (12.2 N) forces at the interface when bonding leather to fabric as an interface bonding material (IBM). Different mass ratios of CNTs to CNCs in the composites lead to different electrical and thermal conductivity properties. When the mass ratio of CNTs to CNCs is 10:1, the CNTs–CNCs(10:1)/EVA composites reach an electrical and thermal conductivity of 158.37 S m⁻¹ and 6.351 W (m·K)⁻¹, respectively. In addition, the CNTs–CNCs(10:1)/EVA composite shows excellent thermal stability, mechanical properties, thermal performance, and electromagnetic shielding. The prepared EVA composite has a broad application prospect in IBM.     

Interlaminar and intralaminar reinforcement of composite laminates with aligned carbon nanotubes

Three-dimensional reinforcement of woven advanced polymer–matrix composites using aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is explored experimentally and theoretically. Radially-aligned CNTs grown in situ on the surface of fibers in a woven cloth provide significant three-dimensional reinforcement, as measured by Mode I interlaminar fracture testing and tension-bearing experiments. Aligned CNTs bridge the ply interfaces giving enhancement in both initiation and steady-state toughness, improving the already tough system by 76% in steady state (more than 1.5 kJ/m² increase). CNT pull-out on the crack faces is the observed toughening mechanism, and an analytical model is correlated to the experimental fracture data. In the plane of the laminate, aligned CNTs enhance the tension-bearing response with increases of: 19% in bearing stiffness, 9% in critical strength, and 5% in ultimate strength accompanied by a clear change in failure mode from shear-out failure (matrix dominated) without CNTs to tensile fracture (fiber dominated) with CNTs.