Clay assisted dispersion of carbon nanotubes in conductive epoxy nanocomposites Academic Article

abstract

• AbstractClay was introduced into singlewalled carbon nanotube (SWNT)/epoxy composites to improve nanotube dispersion without harming electrical conductivity or mechanical performance. Unlike surfactant or polymer dispersants, clay is mechanically rigid and known to enhance the properties (e.g., modulus, gas barrier, and flame retardation) of polymer composites. Combining nanotubes and clay allows both electrical and mechanical behavior to be simultaneously enhanced. With just 0.05wt% SWNT, electrical conductivity is increased by more than four orders of magnitude (from 109 to 105Scm1) with the addition of 0.2wt% clay. Furthermore, the percolation threshold of these nanocomposites is reduced from 0.05wt% SWNT to 0.01wt% with the addition of clay. SWNTs appear to have an affinity for clay that causes them to become more exfoliated and better networked in these composites. This claynanotube synergy may make these composites better suited for a variety of packaging, sensing, and shielding applications.

authors

• Grunlan, Jaime

published proceedings

• ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS

altmetric score

• 9

author list (cited authors)

• Liu, L., & Grunlan, J. C.

citation count

• 271

complete list of authors

• Liu, Lei||Grunlan, Jaime C

publication date

• September 2007

publisher

• Wiley  Publisher

published in

• Advanced Functional Materials  Journal

keywords

• 40 Engineering
• 4001 Aerospace Engineering
• 4016 Materials Engineering
• 4018 Nanotechnology

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1002/adfm.200600785

start page

• 2343

end page

• 2348

volume

• 17

issue

• 14

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adfm.200600785