Reversible Self-Healing Carbon-Based Nanocomposites for Structural Applications
Liberata Guadagno,
Luigi Vertuccio,
Carlo Naddeo,
Elisa Calabrese,
Giuseppina Barra,
Marialuigia Raimondo,
Andrea Sorrentino,
Wolfgang H. Binder,
Philipp Michael,
Sravendra Rana
Affiliations
Liberata Guadagno
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
Luigi Vertuccio
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
Carlo Naddeo
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
Elisa Calabrese
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
Giuseppina Barra
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
Marialuigia Raimondo
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
Andrea Sorrentino
Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB-CNR), via Previati n. 1/E, 23900 Lecco, Italy
Wolfgang H. Binder
Macromolecular Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Science II, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Danckelmann-Platz 4, 06120 Halle, Germany
Philipp Michael
Macromolecular Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Science II, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Danckelmann-Platz 4, 06120 Halle, Germany
Sravendra Rana
Macromolecular Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Science II, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Danckelmann-Platz 4, 06120 Halle, Germany
Reversible Hydrogen Bonds (RHB) have been explored to confer self-healing function to multifunctional nanocomposites. This study has been carried out through a sequence of different steps. Hydrogen bonding moieties, with the intrinsic ability to simultaneously perform the functions of both hydrogen donors and acceptors, have been covalently attached to the walls of carbon nanotubes. The epoxy matrix has been modified to adapt the formulation for hosting self-healing mechanisms. It has been toughened with different percentages of rubber phase covalently linked to the epoxy precursor. The most performant matrix, from the mechanical point of view, has been chosen for the incorporation of MWCNTs. Self-healing performance and electrical conductivities have been studied. The comparison of data related to the properties of nanocomposites containing incorporated functionalized and nonfunctionalized MWCNTs has been performed. The values of the electrical conductivity of the self-healing nanocomposites, containing 2.0% by weight of functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), range between 6.76 × 10−3 S/m and 3.77 × 10−2 S/m, depending on the nature of the functional group. Curing degrees, glass transition temperatures, and storage moduli of the formulated multifunctional nanocomposites prove their potential for application as functional structural materials.
