A Simple Two-Step Process for Producing Strong and Aligned Carbon Nanotube-Polymer Composites

Seyram Gbordzoe; Paa  Kwasi Adusei; Devika Chauhan; Noe  T. Alvarez; Mark  R. Haase; Karim Mansari; Sathya  N. Kanakaraj; Yu-Yun Hsieh; Vesselin Shanov

doi:10.3390/c5030035

C (Jun 2019)

A Simple Two-Step Process for Producing Strong and Aligned Carbon Nanotube-Polymer Composites

Seyram Gbordzoe,
Paa Kwasi Adusei,
Devika Chauhan,
Noe T. Alvarez,
Mark R. Haase,
Karim Mansari,
Sathya N. Kanakaraj,
Yu-Yun Hsieh,
Vesselin Shanov

Affiliations

Seyram Gbordzoe: Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0072, USA
Paa Kwasi Adusei: Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0072, USA
Devika Chauhan: Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0070, USA
Noe T. Alvarez: Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0012, USA
Mark R. Haase: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0012, USA
Karim Mansari: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0012, USA
Sathya N. Kanakaraj: Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0072, USA
Yu-Yun Hsieh: Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0072, USA
Vesselin Shanov: Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0072, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/c5030035
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 5, no. 3
p. 35

Abstract

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In this paper, we present the results of a study related to fabrication of polymer-aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) composites made with different thermoplastic polymers. These composites have been manufactured by employing a simple two-step process using the internal resistive heating approach. The resulting composites have shown improved tensile strength, load, and elastic modulus compared to pristine CNT sheets. Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-CNT, UltemTM-CNT and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)-CNT composites showed an increase in tensile strength by as much as 41%, 77% and 86% respectively over pristine CNT sheets. The improvement in tensile strength is the result of a good adhesion achieved between the aligned CNTs and polymer as observed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Published in C

ISSN: 2311-5629 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Chemistry: Organic chemistry
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/carbon

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