Abstract
Carbon can form different allotropes due to its tetravalency. Different forms of carbon such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), carbon nanofibers, graphene, fullerenes, and carbon black can be used as nanofillers in order to enhance the properties of polymer nanocomposites. These carbon nanomaterials are of interest in nanocomposites research and other applications due to their excellent properties, such as high Young’s Modulus, tensile strength, electrical conductivity, and specific surface area. However, there are some flaws that can be found in the carbon nanoparticles such as tendency to agglomerate, insoluble in aqueous or organic solvents or being unreactive with the polymer surface. In this study, the aim is to study functionalization in order to rectify some of these shortcomings by attaching different functional groups or particles to the surface of these carbon nanoparticles; this also enables the synthesis of high-performance polymer nanocomposites. The main findings include the effects of functionalization on carbon nanoparticles and the applications of polymer nanocomposites with carbon nanoparticles as nanofillers in the industry. Additionally, the different methods used to produce polymer composites such as in situ polymerization, solution mixing and melt blending are studied, as these methods involve the dispersion of carbon nanofillers within the polymer matrix.
Highlights
Carbon, the sixth element in the periodic table, is a nonmetallic chemical element that is tetravalent, which means it has four valence electrons that it can form four covalent bonds with
The other difference is that laser ablation is primarily used to create single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) with high purity and high quality, as the structure is better graphitized compared to those synthesized using the arc discharge method
Analysis performed on the functionalized carbon nanosheets had shown that the X-ray diffraction pattern did not differ much from the untreated nanosheets as they have the same peak shape [8]. This analysis indicated that supercritical water treatment did not change the primary crystal structure of carbon nanosheets, which was later beneficial to the mechanical properties of this composite
Summary
The sixth element in the periodic table, is a nonmetallic chemical element that is tetravalent, which means it has four valence electrons that it can form four covalent bonds with. The sp hybridization will form a linear structure in carbon, while sp hybridization gives rise to planar structure and sp hybridization results in a tetrahedral geometry Many of these carbon nanoparticles possess unique and useful attributes, for instance, graphene has excellent mechanical, electrical and thermal properties due to the long-range π conjugation between its carbon atoms [3]. These properties make carbon nanomaterials desired for a wide array of technological applications This is seen in recent nanocomposites research, where many studies have been dedicated towards the use of carbon nanoparticles as nanofillers and the effect these nanofillers have on polymer composites. The development of polymer/carbon nanoparticles composite research will be discussed, which includes studies on the different types of carbon nanoparticles, the functionalization of carbon nanomaterials and the effect on its mechanical and electrical properties, the different preparation methods of polymer nanocomposites and the use of polymer nanocomposites in various industries. This review article will discuss the types of carbon nanoparticles, the various synthesis methods of the carbon nanomaterials, the types of functionalization for the nanoparticles, the effect on the properties after functionalization, the polymer nanocomposites with carbon nanoparticles as nanofillers that can be created and their use in the industry, along with the production methods for these polymer nanocomposites
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