Abstract
We present a detailed study on the influence of sonication energy and surfactant type on the electrical conductivity of nanocellulose-carbon nanotube (NFC-CNT) nanocomposite films. The study was made using a minimum amount of processing steps, chemicals and materials, to optimize the conductivity properties of free-standing flexible nanocomposite films. In general, the NFC-CNT film preparation process is sensitive concerning the dispersing phase of CNTs into a solution with NFC. In our study, we used sonication to carry out the dispersing phase of processing in the presence of surfactant. In the final phase, the films were prepared from the dispersion using centrifugal cast molding. The solid films were analyzed regarding their electrical conductivity using a four-probe measuring technique. We also characterized how conductivity properties were enhanced when surfactant was removed from nanocomposite films; to our knowledge this has not been reported previously. The results of our study indicated that the optimization of the surfactant type clearly affected the formation of freestanding films. The effect of sonication energy was significant in terms of conductivity. Using a relatively low 16 wt. % concentration of multiwall carbon nanotubes we achieved the highest conductivity value of 8.4 S/cm for nanocellulose-CNT films ever published in the current literature. This was achieved by optimizing the surfactant type and sonication energy per dry mass. Additionally, to further increase the conductivity, we defined a preparation step to remove the used surfactant from the final nanocomposite structure.
Highlights
Conductive composite materials with micrometer and nanoscale fillers, like metallic powders, carbon black, graphite and carbon fibers, are used in many applications, such as antistatic films and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding
Our results show that the surfactant type and sonication energy play a major role in achieving excellent conductivity
NFC and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were used to prepare composite films using a minimum number of processing phases, materials and chemicals
Summary
Conductive composite materials with micrometer and nanoscale fillers, like metallic powders, carbon black, graphite and carbon fibers, are used in many applications, such as antistatic films and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. % to achieve the percolation threshold (i.e., the critical concentration of filler that corresponds to the sharp rise of conductivity). This high filler content ratio might lead to a decrease in the resultant composite’s mechanical properties [1,2]. Nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene, play a role in the development of future composite materials. It is possible to attain the percolation threshold in the insulating polymer matrix at a low CNT concentration due to their excellent electrical, mechanical and thermal properties
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