Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) · 2022 · 16 citations · 0 references
Natural SciencesMaterials EngineeringMaterials ScienceNanomaterialsNanotechnologyPolymer MaterialsCarbon NanomaterialsCarbon NanotubesNanomechanicsNanotubesPolymer-matrix CompositesPolymeric NanomaterialsCarbon Nanotube AlignmentCarbon Nanotube Mechanical PropertiesCarbon Nanotube MechanicsMechanical Properties Of Carbon NanotubesMechanical Properties Of NanotubesNanotube AlignmentPolymer Stretching
The study presents a method to fabricate polymer composites with aligned carbon nanotubes and a procedure to assess their orientation and alignment. Composites were made by casting a CNT suspension in a thermoplastic polymer/chloroform solution, then uniaxially stretched at 100 °C, with alignment characterized by X‑ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. After stretching at 100 °C, the composites retained their elongated alignment when unloaded at room temperature.
We report a method to fabricate polymer-based composites with aligned carbon nanotubes, and a procedure to determine the nanotube orientation and the degree of alignment. The composites were fabricated by casting a suspension of carbon nanotubes in a solution of a thermoplastic polymer and chloroform. They were uniaxially stretched at 100 °C and were found to remain elongated after removal of the load at room temperature. The orientation and the degree of alignment were determined by x-ray diffraction. The dispersion and the alignment of the nanotubes were also studied by transmission electron microscopy.