Abstract
Nano‐web sheets of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) reinforced by carbon nanotubes (CNT) were prepared by electrospinning process. Multi wall nanotubes (MWNT) were dispersed mechanically by high shear mixing using a homogenizer device. It has been found that the spinning solution presented an electrical percolation threshold less than 0.5 wt.% of MWNT. Electrical volume and surface conductivity of the obtained nano‐webs was studied by measuring the electrical volume resistance and surface resistance thanks to home‐made plate electrodes. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) has been used to characterize the nano‐web sheets produced. The average filament diameters range from 320 to 750 nm depending on the concentration of CNT and of PAN. From an electrical point of view, it has been observed that the electrical volume conductivity increases by about six orders of magnitude from 2 × 10−12 S/m for pristine PAN to 4 × 10−6 S/m for PAN charged by MWNT. Increasing the pressure on the specimen induces an exponential decrease of the volume resistivity while surface resistivity shows no significant changes, neither between pristine PAN and reinforced nano‐webs, nor among reinforced nano‐web in relation to MWNT concentration (in the limit of the study). This observed behavior is very interesting in the context of sensor developments.
Highlights
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a new shape of carbon, first identified by Iijima in 1991 [1]
It can be assumed that adding CNT will increase the conductivity of the solution that leads to accelerating the jet and reduces the diameter of filaments
With higher Multi wall nanotubes (MWNT) concentrations, this behavior comes from a competing effect between the previous described phenomenon and the size of MWNT aggregates that still are not dispersed and generate coarse diameter
Summary
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a new shape of carbon, first identified by Iijima in 1991 [1]. Journal of Nanomaterials (SWNTs) on the rheological properties of CNT-reinforced poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, nanocomposites Their rheological and electrical measurements were performed on solid aligned and unaligned composite reinforced by CNT specimens prepared by the coagulation method. Kota et al [17] have studied the electrical and rheological percolation of MWNT-reinforced polystyrene composite prepared by a solvent evaporation method They found that the volume conductivity of pure polystyrene is about 10−20 S/m, but adding MWNTs increased the volume conductivity of the composites by 20 orders of magnitude, approaching a value of about 1 S/m at 8 vol.% loading percentage of MWNTs in solution. The fact that volume and surface electrical behaviors could be different will present advantages for sensor and actuator applications and developments
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