Abstract
The improvement of interfacial adhesion between multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and epoxy resin (EP) was investigated in nanocomposites with the addition of an ionic liquid (IL, 1-Ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium tetrafluoroborate - EMIM BF4) as interfacial adhesion promoter. MWCNT (0, 0.3 and 0.5 weight%) was dispersed in EP through diluting an MWCNT-rich masterbatch prepared in presence and absence of IL. Three point bending and compact tension (CT) fracture mechanical tests were performed on specimens with different MWCNT contents with and without IL surfactant. IL addition resulted in easier dispersion of MWCNT in the EP masterbatch. With the addition of the IL the three point bending strength, the bending modulus of elasticity and the critical force required for crack propagation have increased significantly at the optimal, 0.3 weight% MWCNT content. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) investigation of the fracture surfaces of the CT specimens revealed that incorporation of MWCNTs and its IL-assisted dispersion produced rougher surfaces suggesting higher fracture toughness than the reference EP.
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