Surfactant-Assisted Processing of Carbon Nanotube/Polymer Composites

TLDR

Interfacial interaction is a critical issue in carbon‑nanotube/polymer composites. The study investigates the role of a nonionic surfactant as a processing aid. Using only 1 wt % CNT with the surfactant raises the glass‑transition temperature from 63 °C to 88 °C and boosts the elastic modulus by over 30 %, whereas CNT without surfactant yields only modest changes, illustrating routes to enhance dispersion and interfacial bonding.

Abstract

Interfacial interaction is one of the most critical issues in carbon nanotube/polymer composites. In this paper the role of nonionic surfactant is investigated. With the surfactant as the processing aid, the addition of only 1 wt % carbon nanotubes in the composite increases the glass transition temperature from 63 °C to 88 °C. The elastic modulus is also increased by more than 30%. In contrast, the addition of carbon nanotubes without the surfactant only has moderate effects on the glass transition temperature and on the mechanical properties. This work points to the pathways to improve dispersion and to modify interfacial bonding in carbon nanotube/polymer composites.