Abstract
The thermal and electrical properties of a polymer nanocomposite are highly dependent on the dispersion of the CNT filler in the polymer matrix. Non-covalent functionalisation with a PVP polymer is an excellent driving force towards an effective dispersion of MWNTs in the polymer matrix. It is shown that the PVP molecular weight plays a key role in the non-covalent functionalisation of MWNT and its effect on the thermal and electrical properties of the polymer nanocomposite is reported herein. The dispersion and crystallisation behaviour of the composite are also evaluated by a combination of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).
Highlights
Carbon nanotubes are cylindrical tubes with a π conjugated 1D structure which can be thought of as being made from graphene and have outstanding electrical, optical, thermal and mechanical properties [1]
Nanotubes can be differentiated as single walled nanotubes (SWNT) consisting of an individual rolled up sheet of graphene or multi walled nanotubes (MWNT)
MWNT still exhibits a stable dispersion of MWNTs, but an apparent deposition phenomenon is is observed in the pristine MWNTs within 24 h of being statically placed
Summary
Carbon nanotubes are cylindrical tubes with a π conjugated 1D structure which can be thought of as being made from graphene and have outstanding electrical, optical, thermal and mechanical properties [1]. They can be described as cylinders formed through a hexagonal arrangement of carbon atoms. Even though carbon nanotubes happen to be a compatible choice as a conductive filler, they fail to match the theoretical predictions [4] This can be attributed to a number of factors, including alignment, volume fraction and most importantly, the dispersion of nanotubes in the matrix. A good dispersion of CNTs in a polymer matrix is essential to achieving high electrical and thermal conductivity
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