Abstract
Conducting composite films containing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were prepared by using the biopolymer kappa-carrageenan (KC) as a dispersant. Rheological studies indicated that 0.5% w/v was the appropriate KC concentration for dispersing CNTs. Our results showed that multiwalled nanotubes (MWNTs) required less sonic energy than single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs) for the dispersion process to be complete. Films prepared by vacuum filtration exhibited higher conductivity and improved mechanical characteristics compared to those prepared by evaporative casting. All composite films displayed sensitivity to water vapour, but MWNT films were more sensitive than SWNT films.
Highlights
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted attention due to their unique electronic, mechanical, optical and thermal properties, which make them suitable for applications in nanotechnology [1,2,3,4]
It has been established that biopolymers such as gellan gum, xanthan gum, gum arabic and iota-carrageenan are effective for the dispersion of CNTs in aqueous solutions [8,25,26,27,28,29]
The addition of CNTs resulted in increases in the TS, γ and E values for both multiwalled nanotubes (MWNTs) and single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs) compared to the corresponding values for the sonicated KC film (Table 4)
Summary
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted attention due to their unique electronic, mechanical, optical and thermal properties, which make them suitable for applications in nanotechnology [1,2,3,4]. The formation of buckypapers is straightforward, it has been shown that the electrical, mechanical and physical characteristics are dependent on various parameters, such as the type of CNTs (SWNT or MWNT), the filtration substrate (pore size; hydrophilic or hydrophobic), the sonication time and the type of dispersant (surfactants or polymers) [9,33]. The KC concentration and sonication time were optimised to facilitate the efficient dispersion of these CNTs. The electrical and mechanical characteristics of free-standing composite films prepared by evaporative casting and vacuum filtration were assessed, including the effect of incorporating the plasticizer glycerin.
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