Effect of High Magnetic Pulse Iteration on Electrical Property of CNT-Polypyrrole Composite: Alignment Mechanism

Abstract

In this work, a pulsed magnetic field of 10 T with a duration of 1.5 ms is produced by a resistor-inductor-capacitor (RLC) discharge system. A carbon nanotube-polypyrrole (CNT-PPy) composite (9 wt%) is prepared. The influence of the pulsed magnetic field iteration on the alignment of CNTs embedded in polymer matrix is observed (up to 60 pulses). The microstructure of the magnetically aligned composites is probed by scanning probe microscopy technique. The behavior of a CNT in a magnetic field is theoretically studied, and the equivalent magnetic susceptibility for an anisotropic CNT is calculated. The theory of CNT alignment in a magnetic field is discussed. We found that the perpendicular diamagnetism of a CNT results in its alignment in a magnetic field. We showed that the magnetic torque, which is applied to a CNT, depends on the perpendicular and parallel susceptibilities of the CNT as well as on its initial orientation with respect to the magnetic direction. After exposure to magnetic pulses, the electrical property of the composites is enhanced. The results show that there is a positive correlation between the electrical conductance of CNTs and the number of applied pulses (for 30 pulses). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy technique is used to control the polymer structure during the experiment. Our theoretical finding reveals the limited capacity of CNT’s alignment in magnetic fields.