The structure of carbon nanotubes in a polymer matrix

Abstract

We carried out an analytical structural analysis of interfacial effects and differences in the reinforcing ability of carbon nanotubes for polydicyclopentadiene/carbon nanotube nanocomposites with elastomeric and glassy matrices. In general, it showed that the reinforcing (strengthening) element of the structure of polymer nanocomposites is a combination of the nanofiller and interfacial regions. In the polymer matrix of the nanocomposite, carbon nanotubes form ring-like structures. Their radius depends heavily on the volume content of the nanofiller. Therefore, the structural reinforcing element of polymer/carbon nanotube nanocomposites can be considered as ring-like formations of carbon nanotubes coated with an interfacial layer. Their structure and properties differ from the characteristics of the bulk polymer matrix. According to this definition, the effective radius of the ring-like formations increases by the thickness of the interfacial layer. In turn, the level of interfacial adhesion between the polymer matrix and the nanofiller is uniquely determined by the radius of the specified carbon nanotube formations. For the considered nanocomposites, the elastomeric matrix has a higher degree of reinforcement compared to the glassy matrix, due to the thicker interfacial layer. It was shown that the ring-like nanotube formations could be successfully modelled as a structural analogue of macromolecular coils of branched polymers. This makes it possible to assess the effective (true) level of anisotropy of this nanofiller in the polymer matrix of the nanocomposite. When the nanofiller content is constant, this level, characterised by the aspect ratio of the nanotubes, uniquely determines the degree of reinforcement of the nanocomposites

Keywords

• nanocomposite
• carbon nanotubes
• structure
• interfacial layer
• ring-like formations
• reinforcement degree