Realign carbon nanotubes in PMMA nano-fibers by improved electrospinning equipment

Abstract

An electrospinning equipment combining with a long capillary has been assembled to realign carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) fibers. The in situ polymerization process was used to improve the dispersion of CNTs and the interface combining between CNTs and matrix. The SEM results indicated that the smooth and arranged electrospun nano-fibers with a diameter of about 100 nm were obtained. TEM investigations show the well dispersion and realignment of CNTs in composite fibers. The FTIR spectra show the chemical bonding between CNTs and matrix. Comparing with pure PMMA, the electrical conductivity increased by 10 orders of magnitude for the composite fiber bundle containing 8 wt% of CNTs. The Herman orientation factor of CNTs reached 0.89 based on the Raman spectra analysis and the modified formula taking the partial disorder of the fibers into account. Meanwhile, the realignment of CNTs before the electrospinning process by poiseuille flow within capillary was analyzed.