The effects of agglomerated versus deagglomerated multiwalled carbon nanotubes on the thermal and mechanical characteristics of polyethylene oxide were studied. The specimens were prepared via solutionsonication method, using two procedures. In the first procedure, CNT-PEO solutions were prepared with asreceived MWCNTs, before sonication using an ultrasonic bath; in the second procedure, aggregated MWCNTs were first deagglomerated using high-intensity ultrasonic processor, before mixing with the PEO. The two solution preparation procedures did result in significant thermal property differences such as increased transition temperature and crystallinity, but only one mechanical property can be conclusively associated with the sample preparation method-the breaking strain which was marginally higher for nanocomposites containing deagglomerated CNTs, although in all cases the breaking strains were much lower for nanocomposites than for unfilled polymer. However, the overall results confirm the effectiveness of CNTs both as nucleation agents for semicrystalline polymers, and as fillers for enhancement of mechanical properties of the matrix polymer. POLYM. COMPOS., 29:809-817, 2008. ª
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.