Improving Mechanical, Electrical and Thermal Properties of Fluororubber by Constructing Interconnected Carbon Nanotube Networks with Chemical Bonds and F-H Polar Interactions.

Abstract

To improve the properties of fluororubber (FKM), aminated carbon nanotubes (CNTs-NH2) and acidified carbon nanotubes (CNTs-COOH) were introduced to modulate the interfacial interactions in FKM composites. The effects of chemical binding and F-H polar interactions between CNTs-NH2, CNTs-COOH, and FKM on the mechanical, electrical, thermal, and wear properties of the FKM composites were systematically investigated. Compared to the pristine FKM, the tensile strength, modulus at 100% strain, hardness, thermal conductivity, carbon residue rate, and electrical conductivity of CNTs-NH2/CNTs-COOH/FKM were increased by 112.2%, 587.5%, 44.2%, 37.0%, 293.5%, and nine orders of magnitude, respectively. In addition, the wear volume of CNTs-NH2/CNTs-COOH/FKM was reduced by 29.9%. This method provides a new and effective way to develop and design high-performance fluororubber composites.