Polymer composites based on epoxy resin with added carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Epoxy resin (diglycidyl ether bisphenol-A type) polymer composites with added pristine and fluorinated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were studied by FTIR, TGA and electron microscopy. The tensile and flexural strengths of these composites were measured. The specific surface value of the fluorinated CNTs was found to be about 2.26 times higher than that of the one containing the pristine CNTs. The fluorination did not affect the thermal stability of the CNTs below 260 °C and did not worsen the thermal stability of the filled composites. The introduction of 0.1 wt% CNTs fluorinated at 150 °C into the polymer matrix resulted in the increase of the tensile strength of the composite to 89.6 ± 4.1 MPa (35% increase when compared to the unfilled composite). The flexural strength of the composite filled with 0.2 wt% CNTs fluorinated at 150 °C was increased to 199.7 ± 4.8 MPa (+58% when compared with the unfilled composite). The pristine CNTs were less effective in improving the tensile and flexural strengths of the composite when compared with the fluorinated CNTs. The introduction of the fluorinated CNTs into the polymer matrix did not influence the thermal stability of the composite. The reinforced composites can be applied in several areas: aviation, automotive, wind turbine propeller blades, for producing yachts and boats, etc.