Abstract
In this study, the cryomilling of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was carried out to accomplish better dispersion without using any hazardous chemicals. Accordingly, different samples of CNTs were prepared by varying the milling speed (10, 20, and 25 Hz) and time (5, 10, and 15 min) and incorporated into the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix. The changes of the morphology were analyzed by utilizing a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and a high-resolution transmission electron microscope (TEM). Qualitative analysis of the cryomilled CNTs was carried out using Raman spectroscopy, and their surface area was determined via Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis. Subsequently, thermogravimetric analysis was conducted to evaluate the thermal properties, whereas the surface resistivity and electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness for the electrical conductivity were also examined. It was observed that the composite with Cr-20-10 showed better thermal stability and lower resistivity in comparison to the others because, as the cryomilling time and frequency increased the distribution, dispersion and surface area also increased. Consequently, a better interaction between CNTs and PMMA took place.
Highlights
Conductive polymer composites have gained a substantial amount of attention and have unlocked new opportunities, especially in the field of smart electronic devices [1,2]
The carbon nanotubes (CNTs) prepared at various frequencies and times evaluated in this study are raw CNTs (RCNTs), CNTs cryomilled for 10 min at 10 Hz (Cr-10-10), CNTs cryomilled for 10 min at
The morphology of the CNTs was examined by using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM)
Summary
Conductive polymer composites have gained a substantial amount of attention and have unlocked new opportunities, especially in the field of smart electronic devices [1,2]. Compared to the other fillers, a small amount of CNTs is sufficient to enhance the thermal, mechanical, and electronic properties, making the resulting composite cost-efficient [13]. As-grown CNTs possess many defects, including non-uniformity and impurities Because of their high aspect ratio, uniform dispersion of CNTs into the matrix is a major hindrance in accomplishing the full potential of CNT-based composites. Grunlan et al used functionalized SWNTs with a stabilizer gum arabic followed by reinforcement into a PVAc emulsion and found that the percolation threshold decreased up to twofold compared to non-functionalized carbon black-based PVAc composites [18] Singh and his colleagues improved the electrical conductivity of polyimide films from 6.67 ˆ 10 ́18 Scm. The electrical conductivity of the composites was analyzed by measuring the surface resistivity, and the EMI shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) was investigated
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