Preparation, thermal and mechanical properties of poly (ether‐imide) composite reinforced with carbon nanotube buckypaper

Abstract

Vacuum filtration technique was employed in order to prepare multiwalled carbon nanotube buckypapers (MWCNT-BP) through a well-dispersed suspension of MWCNT/H 2 O with the aid of Triton X-100 surfactant. The obtained BP (buckypaper) was then infiltrated with a solution of poly (ether-imide) (PEI) under vacuum conditions. The visual inspection demonstrated the importance of the centrifugation procedure before the vacuum filtration of the suspension, revealing a smooth surface of the as-prepared buckypaper. Thermogravimetric experiments (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy analyses have demonstrated the role of isopropyl alcohol in the removal of Triton X-100 from the nanotube network. SEM observations of the cross-section view of the samples revealed a porous network of the fabricated BP, and an impregnated structure of the PEI/BP composite, suggesting a good interfacial bonding between MWCNT and PEI. Moreover, significant improvements were achieved in mechanical and thermal properties of PEI matrix by the incorporation of BP, as the increase of both the storage modulus (42%) and the T g (11 C) for the PEI/BP composite. TGA have shown a significant increase in the onset decomposition temperature of the polymer by the incorporation of the BP.

The influence of carbon nanotube buckypaper/poly (ether imide) mats on the thermal properties of poly (ether imide) and poly (aryl ether ketone)/carbon fiber laminates

“…They showed an improvement in this property, since the addition of BP in the PEEK polymer (poly (ether ether ketone) promoted an increase of 30 • C in the initial degradation temperature. Similar behavior was observed by Ribeiro et al [31] in which the incorporation of BP promoted a gain of 35 • C in the initial temperature of thermal decomposition. These increases are attributed to the high thermal conductivity of CNTs favoring the transport of heat through the phonons and increasing the barrier effect that hinders the diffusion of products associated with degradation.…”

“…The excellent thermal properties of carbon nanotubes impact BPbased composites' properties, such as thermal stability and viscoelasticity. Thermal stability is crucial to define the application temperature and the dimensional stability of the material [31]. Some studies show the effectiveness of BPs in gaining thermal stability, such as the study carried out by Díez-Pascual [28] and co-workers.…”

Mechanical, Electrical, and Thermal Properties of Carbon Nanotube Buckypapers/Epoxy Nanocomposites Produced by Oxidized and Epoxidized Nanotubes

“…To explore the internal structure of the dry (neat) buckypapers, porosimetry measurements were performed. The pore size is a crucial parameter to produce high volume fraction composites, since small pores block the impregnation of the resin molecules inside the empty space of the buckypaper, leaving empty holes which act like defects [ 25 ]. In Figure 6 and Table 3 the percentage of pore volume as a function of pore size and the characteristic values as determined by porosimetry of the produced buckypapers are presented.…”

“…Buckypapers have been extensively used in a variety of applications as filters [ 9 ], fire retardancy materials [ 10 ], electromagnetic shielding materials [ 11 , 12 ], catalyst supports [ 13 , 14 ], actuators [ 15 , 16 ], sensors [ 17 , 18 ], supercapacitors [ 19 , 20 ], and fuel cell electrodes [ 21 , 22 ]. They have even been used in medical applications [ 23 ], but probably the most widespread usage of them is the incorporation into polymeric matrices for the enhancement of their mechanical, electrical, or thermal properties [ 7 , 8 , 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”

High-temperature resistance and wave-transmitting quartz-fibre/polyimide composite

“…Wave-transmitting and high-temperature resistant materials have become one of the most important multifunctional medium materials in aeronautics and astronautics, which are used as a window material to protect the normal operation of communication, telemetry, guidance, detonation and other systems of spacecraft in harsh environments [1][2][3]. To date, the common of employed wave-transmitting and hightemperature materials are almost quartz fibrereinforced polymer composites and ceramic-matrix composites [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. And they have attracted a great deal of attention owing to their fundamental importance and applicability in various modern technologies.…”