Increasing Carbon Nanotubes Content Research Articles

Highly-improved microwave absorption performance of LaFeO3/Fe@CNTs nanocomposites through in-situ synthesis of Fe@CNTs

In order to enhance the microwave absorption performance, the multi-phase nanocomposites composed of magnetic medium and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is designed and developed based on impedance matching. In this paper, LaFeO3/Fe@CNTs nanocomposites are prepared in situ using LaFeO3 as catalysts and C2H2 as carbon sources with CVD method, and then the microstructures, magnetic properties and microwave absorption performance are investigated in detail. The specific surface area of LaFeO3/Fe@CNTs nanocomposites increases greatly from 16.39 m3/g for LFC0 to 52.29 m3/g for LFC5 with the increasing CNTs content due to the enhanced heterogeneous interfaces. Ms also increases from 0.68 emu/g for LFC0 to 10.24 emu/g for LFC5 from magnetic Fe nanoparticles. LFC5 exhibits the best microwave absorption properties with the minimum reflection loss of -38.758 dB and a broad effective absorption bandwidth of 2.32 GHz at 2.5 mm. Impedance matching is balanced by permittivity from CNTs and permeability from Fe nanoparticles. Owing to the conductive CNTs with more defects, the dielectric loss and eddy current loss both increases to some extent. The synergistic loss mechanism of magnetic Fe nanoparticles and dielectric CNTs result in impedance matching and outstanding microwave attenuation.

Influence of carbon nanotubes on the absorption performance and mechanical behavior of basalt fiber composite materials

AbstractBasalt fibers (BF) are widely used in shipbuilding due to their excellent corrosion resistance. However, basalt fibers do not possess good electromagnetic wave absorption properties, failing to meet the stealth performance requirements of ships. Therefore, this study focuses on basalt fiber composite materials, modifying the matrix by adding different amounts of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Carbon nanotube‐basalt fiber‐epoxy resin absorptive composite materials are prepared using Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) technique to investigate the influence of CNT content on the materials. Samples with added CNTs can effectively absorb electromagnetic waves in the low‐frequency range, reducing surface reflectivity. In the high‐frequency range, the impedance matching value of the samples initially increases slowly. When the CNT content reaches 1.5 wt%, at a thickness of 2.5 mm and a frequency of 9.6 GHz, the minimum reflection loss of the sample is −14.40 dB, with an effective absorption bandwidth of 0.7 GHz. Also, CNTs can enhance the mechanical properties of composite materials. With increasing CNT content, both the bending strength and tensile strength of the composite materials are improved. When the CNT content reaches 1.5 wt%, the average tensile fracture strength of the material increases by 21%, and the bending strength increases by 9%.Highlights Enhanced low‐frequency electromagnetic wave absorption from CNTs and reduced polarization. Improved impedance matching and attenuation at high frequencies with CNTs. Significant enhancement in flexural and tensile strength due to CNTs and basalt fibers.

Cyclic loading effects on the heat-generation performance of carbon nanotube-embedded cement composites

Abstract This study investigates the heat-generation stability of carbon nanotube (CNT)/cement composites after exposing to cyclic loading conditions. The specimens were fabricated with varying CNT contents and levels of fly ash replacement. Results showed that increasing CNT content reduced electrical resistivity, while the impact on the electrical characteristics was found to be insubstantial, even though a considerable portion of fly ash was replaced. In addition, the electrical resistivity of the specimens after exposed to cyclic loading increased. Electrical heating tests revealed both negative and positive temperature coefficient effects depending on the applied voltages. Higher CNT contents improved the heat-generation capability, but the heating capability decreased after exposed to the cyclic loadings which is deduced from the damage of CNT networks during cyclic loadings. In this regard, the authors concluded that the heat-generation stability can be significantly affected by the applied loadings. Thus, the future research will be conducted to improve the heat-generation stability of the cement-based electrical heating systems as exposed to artificial deteriorations.

The improved viscoelastic properties of long‐length carbon nanotubes reinforced polyamide‐6 composites

AbstractThe semi‐crystallinity, thermoplasticity, high toughness, and light weight of polyamide‐6 (PA6) when reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) provide outstanding physical properties to the nanocomposites by combining the physical properties of both components. The processing difficulties arising due to the high toughness and abrasion resistance of PA6 and the agglomeration of in‐house synthesized long‐length CNTs can be tackled by melt‐mixing the components inside a twin‐screw extruder with a back‐flow channel. The 0.1–7 parts per hundred ratios (phr) of CNTs reinforced PA6 composites were characterized for their viscoelastic properties through oscillatory rheometry and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) at fixed operating conditions. The outcomes showed continuous shiftings in storage and loss modulus values with increasing reinforcements along with a viscoelastic transition at 3 phr CNTs reinforcements observed in DMA. A 19°C rise in glass transition temperature (Tg) was observed in DMA with 0.1 phr CNTs reinforcement, which showed further improvements with increasing CNTs content. The interactions among PA6 and CNTs were further confirmed by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy curves. These nanocomposites promise mechanical applications in the equipments of automobiles, aerospace, defense, biomedical, bio‐sensors, etc.Highlights Viscoelastic properties study for CNTs/PA6 composites Uniform intermixing of CNTs within PA6 via extrusion with back‐flow channel Detailed analysis of rheometry and DMA of the composites CNTs‐PA6 interactions estimated from rising intensity peaks in Raman spectra and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) Potential candidates for components in automobiles, aircraft, biomedicals, and sports industry

Piezoresistive properties for soft structures using hybrid CCB/CNT-based natural rubber latex composites

This study explores the development of flexible sensors for soft structures. Conductive carbon black (CCB) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) were incorporated into a natural rubber (NR) matrix using glutaraldehyde (GA) as a curing system. The sensor properties of latex-NR composites with 20 phr of CCB, including variations of CNT content (0.5 to 3 phr), were examined. Increasing CNT content beyond 0.5 phr decreased tensile strength and elongation at break, but improved sensitivity and gauge factor (GF). Additionally, applying a voltage over 5 V caused a joule heating of the latex-NR composite strip elements. When integrated onto a soft tendon-based TPU bending actuator, higher CNT content reduced electrical signal drift during cyclic bending, enhancing long-term monitoring. This research highlights the potential of CCB/CNT-based latex-NR composites for soft structure applications, including soft robotics and health monitoring.

Microwave absorption and infrared stealth capabilities of hot-pressed Si3N4/CNT ceramics tailored by CNT content

Current research on radar and infrared dual stealth in dense Si3N4-based ceramic materials is limited. This study investigates the influence of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the composition, microstructure, electromagnetic wave absorption (EMA) capabilities, and infrared emissivity of hot-pressed Si3N4-based ceramics. The addition of CNTs resulted in the formation of numerous heterogeneous interfaces and the CNTs conductive network, initially enhancing the ceramics’ EMA capabilities before gradually decreasing. Si3N4-based ceramics loaded with 0.5 wt% and 1 wt% CNTs exhibited significant EMA capabilities, with a minimum refection loss of −60.95 dB at thickness of 7.49 mm. However, with an increase in CNT content, the increasing heterogeneous interfaces and pores in ceramics enhanced the absorption of the electromagnetic wave in the infrared band, resulting in a rise in total infrared emissivity from 0.584 to 0.679. To optimize radar and infrared stealth performance, a two-layered structure can be designed, with Si3N4 and Si3N4/CNT ceramics serving as the outermost and second layers, respectively. This study provides a way to design high density Si3N4-based ceramics with infrared and radar stealth.

Effects of conductive phase content on magnetic sensitivity of spiral conductive polymer composite

Flexible magnetic field sensors are essential for small dimensions, excellent precision, and flexibility in narrow gap or pipe environments. A spiral conductive polymer composite has been proposed for magnetic field detection. To investigate how conductive phase content impacts its magnetic sensitivity, the relationship between magnetic flux density and voltage difference/magnetic sensitivity was examined with different carbon nanotube contents (1 wt%∼20 wt%). From the perspectives of the equivalent network and magnetic susceptibility, the voltage difference /magnetic sensitivity of the composite was analysed by varying its carbon nanotube content. The addition of carbon nanotubes creates a contradiction in the magnetic sensitivity caused by internal equivalent impedance or induced current. The experiments demonstrate that the interpolar voltage difference /magnetic sensitivity first increases and then sharply decreases with increasing carbon nanotube content within composites. The optimum carbon nanotube content is about 8 wt%, which can be an optimal sensitive material choice for a flexible magnetic sensor.

Concurrent effect of shear flow and CNT presence on crystallization behavior and electrical properties of polypropylene based nanocomposites: A comprehensive structure-property investigation

The loading of nanoparticle in the polymer matrix affects their response to shear flows applied during the fabrication process. With this in mind, in the present study, the concurrent effect of carbon nanotube (CNT) presence and shear application on the rheological and electrical properties as well as on the crystallization behavior of polypropylene (PP) based nanocomposites has been investigated. The results of rheological analyses showed that the solid-like behavior increases in proportion to the CNT content, and a remarkable increase in the solid-like behavior is obtained at a CNT content of 2 wt%. The isothermal crystallization results corroborated that crystallization temperature increases proportionally with the CNT content, however does not change with shearing. The non-isothermal crystallization findings confirmed that crystallization kinetics promotes with increasing CNT content, and this effect becomes more pronounced with shearing. The results of thermal analysis confirmed that the melting temperature decreases slightly, and the crystallinity remains almost unchanged with increasing CNT content up to 2%. However, when the CNT content rose up to 4%, the crystallinity decreased significantly due to confined crystallization. When this nanocomposite was subjected to shearing, the crystallinity increased. The results of electrical conductivity measurement revealed that the conductivity increases with increasing CNT content, while it decreases with shearing and the vulnerability of nanocomposites to shearing decreases with increasing CNT content.

Evolution of surface oxide chemistry and its effect on the electrochemical degradation behaviour of AlCoFeCuNi high entropy alloy coating incorporated with multiwalled carbon nanotubes

AlCoFeCuNi high entropy alloy (HEA) coatings containing different volume fractions of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were electrodeposited over mild steel substrate. Phase constitution, morphological evolution, electrochemical corrosion properties and surface oxide chemistry of the coatings were investigated as a function of their CNT content and correlated. With initial incorporation of the CNTs, the surface morphology of the composite coatings became progressively finer and compact till an optimum CNT volume fraction. Higher volume fractions of CNTs led to their agglomeration which yielded rougher and defective coating morphology. Corrosion rate of the HEA coating was highly sensitive to the CNT content and at an optimum CNT volume fraction HEA-CNT composite coatings (HEA_CNT-3 coating produced from electrolyte with 10 mg/L of CNT) with lowest corrosion rate was obtained (polarization resistance: Rp = 1178.85 Ω-cm2) while the highest corrosion rate was observed for the pristine HEA coating (Rp = 225.84 Ω-cm2). The coating with highest CNT volume fraction (HEA_CNT-6 coating produced from electrolyte with 35 mg/L of CNT) exhibited the polarization resistance value of 281.80 Ω-cm2. Contact angle measurement revealed that with increase in CNT content, coating hydrophobicity increased monotonically. Analysis of the surface oxide layer of the exposed samples exhibited increase in the relative content of Co3O4, CuO, NiO, AlO(OH) oxides with the presence of CNTs. This work shows that an optimum volume fraction of CNT which produces relatively compact morphology and facilitates evolution of stabler surface oxides leads to significant enhancement in the corrosion resistance of AlCoFeCuNi HEA-CNT composite coating.

Investigating the Electrical and Mechanical Properties of Polystyrene (PS)/Untreated SWCNT Nanocomposite Films

This paper presents a study of the electrical and mechanical properties of polystyrene (PS)/carbon nanotube (CNT) composites prepared using the doctor blade technique. The nanocomposite films of PS/CNT were prepared by casting a composite solution of PS/CNT in tetrahydrofuran (THF) on a glass substrate using a doctor blade and drying in an oven. The nanocomposite films were then characterized using a tensile test and the four-point probe method to evaluate their mechanical properties and electrical conductivity. The experimental results were used to analyze the unpredicted behavior of the nanocomposite films. The experimental results showed that the electrical conductivity of the nanocomposite films became almost insensitive or unmeasurable with increasing CNT content for very dilute PS–THF solutions. In contrast, at higher PS concentrations, film conductivity increased to a given CNT threshold and then decreased. Based on PS–THF viscosity–concentration data, a discussion is elaborated that partially justifies the experimental results.

The Impact of Carbon Nanotube on the Thermal Properties of Polypropylene

This research paper investigates the effect of the addition of carbon nanotubes (0.5 and 1.0% by weight) on crystallisation procedure in isotactic polypropylene. The study found that the crystallisation temperature increased with increasing nanotube content, while the crystallisation of polymers did not substantially change. The critical cooling speed, at which PP does not crystalize, increases with the increase in carbon nanotube content. Using the critical cooling speed and nanotube content, a nucleation effectiveness parameter was developed, that is not dependent on the crystallisation temperature or the CNT load. The study also found that carbon nanotubes only speed up the development of α-phase in isothermal crystallisation experiments. The control fibers had a shrinkage of 27% to 160°C, while the shrinkage of the composite fibers was less than 5%. The melting temperature of PP and its nanocomposites was approximately 150 to 152°C. However, the values for the degree of crystallinity of the nanocomposites rose along with the CNT content.

Molecular dynamics simulation of mechanical and tribological properties of nitrile butadiene rubber with different length and content carbon nanotubes

Nitrile butadiene rubber is attracting attention as an essential elastic material in the automobile, aviation, petroleum, and printing industries. However, the effects of carbon nanotubes (CNTS) with different contents and lengths on mechanical and tribological properties of nitrile butadiene rubber are rarely reported. Therefore, we aim to elucidate the microscopic strengthening mechanism of NBR matrix by changing the content and length of CNTS from an atomic perspective. Specifically, the effects of CNTS (5 wt%, 9 wt%, 13 wt% and 17 wt%) and CNTS (2.130 nm, 2.556 nm and 2.982 nm) on mechanical and tribological properties of butadiene rubber composites are investigated by molecular dynamics simulation. The experimental results show that the mechanical properties of the composites increase first and then decrease with the increase of CNTS content. In addition, the shear resistance of the composites is improved with the increase of CNTS content, and the composites containing 13 wt% CNTS showed relatively excellent friction properties. Moreover, the mechanical and frictional properties of the composites are improved with the increase of the length of CNTS. It is determined that the increasing length of CNTS also enhances the interaction between CNTS and the molecular chains of nitrile butadiene rubber, which improves the compactness and shear deformation resistance of the composite.

Formation of a conductive network in urea−formaldehyde/carbon nanotube composite foams for electromagnetic shielding

AbstractDue to advantages of low cost and intrinsic flame retardancy, urea−formaldehyde (UF) foams with electromagnetic shielding function present a promising application prospect in the fields of construction, transportation and electronics. In this study, by using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as conductive filler and thermo‐expandable microspheres (EMs) as physical foaming agent, a series of UF/CNT composite foams with perfect and polygonal closed cellular structure were prepared for electromagnetic shielding. By adding 6 wt% EMs, the composite foam exhibited a uniform cell wall thickness, while the local accumulation of CNTs was inhibited and CNTs were distributed evenly within the cell walls. With increasing CNT content the dispersion of CNTs transformed from a scattered and ‘island‐like’ structure to an interconnected structure, and for samples with CNT content higher than 1.34 vol% a continuous conductive network was constructed within the cell walls, thus significantly improving the electrical conductivity and electromagnetic shielding effectiveness for the foams, which reached 34.5 dB and satisfied the requirement of commercial applications. Moreover, the contribution of absorption to the electromagnetic shielding effectiveness was much larger than that of reflection for composite foams, indicating that absorption was the dominant shielding mechanism. © 2023 Society of Industrial Chemistry.

Microstructures and mechanical properties of Al nanocomposites hybrid-reinforced with B4C, carbon nanotubes and graphene nanoplatelets

To improve the mechanical properties of Al-30%B4C composites, modified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) were added. The Al/B4C composites with different content of CNTs and GNPs were fabricated via ball milling and hot press. The B4C particles were homogeneously distributed, and the B4C/Al interface was tightly bonded due to AlB2 and Al3BC. With increase of CNTs content, the composites strength increased. The compressive strength of the Al-30%B4C-0.75%CNT-0.25%GNP composite was enhanced by 46% compared with that of the Al-30%B4C composite. The interface bonding and strengthening mechanisms of CNT-GNP hybrid were studied in detail. The reinforcements mainly reinforced the nanocomposites by Orowan, dislocation, grain refinement strengthening and load transfer. After calculation, CNT-GNP hybrid has lower contribution in thermal mismatch and Orowan strengthening due to the larger size. The load transfer efficiency of the CNT-GNP hybrid was significantly higher than that of the CNTs and GNPs, as the optimised interface structure and interconnected structure of the hybrids contributed to its high strength.

Effect of carbon nanotubes additives on mechanical properties of WC–6Co cemented carbide

AbstractIn order to increase the toughness of WC–6Co cemented carbide, different contents of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were added to the WC–6Co alloy powder to prepare cemented carbide by low‐pressure sintering. The results showed that some of the CNTs were embedded between the grains of WC–6Co cemented carbide, which would hinder the growth of WC grain boundary, thus leading to grain refinement. In addition, CNTs inhibited the formation of decarbonized phase and guided the deflection and bridge of crack to hinder the crack extension. With the increase of CNTs content, the density increased at first and then decreased, and the transverse fracture strength increased at first and then decreased. When the content was 0.2 wt.%, the alloy had the best performance. The density of the alloy was 99.67%; the transverse fracture strength was up to 2937.5 MPa, which is about 100% higher than that of cemented carbide without CNTs. The fracture toughness was 9.84 MPa m1/2, and the hardness was 1924.8HV30.

Effect of carbon nanotube content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of CNTs/TiAl alloys

TiAl alloys are ideal high-temperature structural materials for aerospace applications. However, their ductility, bending strength and machinability are poor at room temperature, thus severely limiting their practical application. In this study, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were used as additives, and Ti–48Al–2Cr–8Nb was used as the original powder to prepare CNTs/TiAl alloys by employing spark plasma sintering. The effects of different CNT contents on the microstructure, hardness and bending strength of CNTs/TiAl alloys were investigated. The results indicated that CNTs reacted with the matrix to generate granular TiC and Ti2AlC reinforced phases stacked into bands at the grain boundaries, limiting grain growth. The Ti2AlC phase content increased with increasing CNT content. When the contents of the TiC and Ti2AlC phases were high, agglomeration occurred, leading to defects such as pits and cracks on the surface, which explains the weakened mechanical properties of the CNTs/TiAl alloys at room temperature. When the CNT content was 0.4 wt%, the average grain size was approximately 32 μm under the effects of fine grain strengthening and second phase strengthening. Moreover, the mechanical properties of the composite were the best at room temperature. The Vickers hardness and bending strength at room temperature were 377 HV and 879 MPa, respectively, and the compressive strength and strain were 2554 MPa and 31.86%, respectively. The fracture mode was mainly transgranular.

Effect of CNT Content on Microstructure and Properties of CNTs/Refined-AZ61 Magnesium Matrix Composites.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) reinforced magnesium matrix composites have great application potential in the transportation industry, but the low absolute strength is the main obstacle to its application. In this paper, copper-coated CNTs and AZ61 powder were used as raw materials to prepare CNTs/refined-AZ61 composites with good interfacial bonding, uniformly dispersed CNTs and fine grains by the process of ball milling refinement of AZ61 powder, ball milling dispersion and hot-pressing sintering. When the volume fraction of CNTs is less than or equal to 1 vol.%, CNTs can be uniformly dispersed and the yield strength and compressive strength of composites increase with higher CNT content. When the volume fraction of CNTs is 1 vol.%, the compressive strength and yield strength of composites reach 439 MPa and 361 MPa, respectively, which are 14% and 9% higher than those of matrix composites with nearly the same value of fracture strain. When the volume fraction of CNTs is greater than 1 vol.%, with the increase in CNT content, CNT clustering becomes more and more serious, resulting in a decrease in the strength and fracture strain of composites.

Film casting of polycarbonate/multi-walled carbon nanotubes composites using ultrasound-assisted twin-screw extruder: experiment and simulation

Abstract A one-step ultrasonic film casting process to manufacture nanocomposite films was developed, in which polycarbonate (PC) was mixed with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) and cast into films in one process. Numerical and experimental investigations of necking phenomenon were carried out for film casting of PC/CNT composites. Experimental results revealed that the necking along film line decreased with imposition of ultrasound and increasing CNT content, indicating that incorporation of CNT and imposition of ultrasound restrained the elongational flow behavior of melt, resulting in film of a larger width. Isothermal and nonisothermal numerical simulations of the process were performed. In isothermal simulations, the polymer melt was assumed to be maintained at the die temperature. In nonisothermal simulations, the temperature change along the film line was determined from heat transfer calculations with the WLF temperature-dependent viscosity. The simulated and experimental results on normalized film width, defined as a ratio of cast film width to die width, as a function of the distance from the die at various extension ratios were compared. The comparison indicated that changes in film width and thickness along the stretching direction in the nonisothermal process were in better agreement with experimental results than that in the isothermal process. Both experimental and simulated results showed a decrease of film width with take-up speed. Due to the presence of edge effect, the film width in experiment was lower than the simulated one. With incorporation of CNT, a better agreement between experimental and simulated results was obtained, due to a reduced edge effect in the film.

Comparative study on the effect of carbon nanotubes and carbon black on fatigue properties of natural rubber composites

Fatigue property is of great importance for the security and reliability of rubber products. The fatigue performance of natural rubber (NR) filled with carbon nanotube (CNT) and carbon black (CB) with different content but similar hardness was investigated. Results indicated that CNT/NR exhibited the best fatigue performance at low CNT content and fatigue strain, while the crack growth was accelerated with the increase of CNT content and strain. As for CB/NR, the fatigue resistance increased with CB content and strain. The different fatigue performance of NR composites was discussed from the perspective of hysteresis, strain-induced crystallization, and stress concentration effect.

Study on Thermal-Oxidative Aging Properties of Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Monomer Composites Filled with Silica and Carbon Nanotubes.

In this work, a small amount of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was used to partially replace the silica in ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) to prepare EPDM composites via mechanical blending. The mechanical properties, thermal-oxidative aging properties and thermal stability of the composites were systematically investigated. The results showed that with the increase of CNTs content, the Shore A hardness and stress at 100% strain of the composites increased, while the elongation at break decreased. With the aging time increasing, the aging coefficient and elongation at break of composites decreased while hardness increased due to the raise of crosslinking density. In addition, evidences were found to demonstrate the improved aging resistance by adding CNTs in the EPDM composites, including the less change in Shore A hardness, the smaller change ratio of elongation at break and the lower aging coefficient. When the content of CNTs reached 10 phr, the aging coefficient of the EPDM composite aged for 168 h was nearly twice that of the composite without CNTs, and the thermal stability of the EPDM composite with CNTs was improved as demonstrated by thermal analysis.