Influence of unique structure of glassy carbon on morphology and properties of its epoxy-based binary composites and hybrid composites with carbon nanotubes

Abstract

The study of interfacial interactions between polymer matrix and particulate fillers is essential for producing composites with enhanced properties. In this work, the influence of the unique glassy carbon (GC) structure on the properties of its binary epoxy composites as well as hybrid nanocomposites with GC and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was investigated. The purpose of incorporating MWCNTs into the epoxy matrix (EP) as an addition filler was to obtain nanocomposites with improved properties. The influence of GC particles alone or in combination with MWCNTs on morphological, thermomechanical, and electrical properties of composites was studied in detail. There were found good, homogeneous dispersion of GC and MWCNTs in epoxy matrix as well as strong interfacial interactions between the carbon fillers and epoxy. Mechanical measurements demonstrated that both the tensile and bending properties of the composites, especially the hybrid composites, were greatly improved compared with those of pure epoxy due to the uniform dispersion of fillers in epoxy and significant adhesion between the filler and matrix. The electrical resistivity of hybrid composites, which is directly related to the presence of MWCNTs in addition to the GC, decreased sharply by 9–11 orders of magnitude compared to the insulating matrix. Such composites with enhanced mechanical and electrical properties could be applied in various branches of industry.