Characteristics of polymer composites strengthened with carbon nanotubes
Patrycja Zygoń, Monika Gwoździk, Jerzy Peszke, Zygmunt Nitkiewicz, Jarosław Jędryka
Quarterly No. 3, 2013 pages 179-184
DOI:
keywords: carbon nanotubes, composite material, mechanical strength
abstract Carbon nanotubes because of their high mechanical, optical or electrical properties, have found use as semiconducting materials constituting the reinforcing phase in composite materials. The paper presents the results of studies on the mechanical properties of polymer composites reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNT). Before introduction to the polymer matrix, the nanotubes were subjected to chemical cleaning. Carbon nanotubes cleaning was carried out in the liquid phase using a mixture of oxidising concentrated nitric and sulphuric acids. Three-point bending tests were carried out on the composites. The density of each obtained composite was determined as well as the surface roughness and the conductance at room temperature. Carbon nanotubes constituting the reinforcement for a polymer composite improve the mechanical properties and conductivity of both the composite and the polymer.