Nanocarbon Additives Research Articles

Dialysis nanocomposite membranes based on carbon nanoforms inhibiting blood plasma protein adsorption.

Protein adsorption on medical devices in contact with blood is a significant issue during renal replacement therapy. Main forces determining fouling are the electrostatic interactions between membrane and charged protein, but the dialysis membrane surface charges can be adjusted by modifying the polymer matrix to decrease the blood plasma protein adsorption. In this study, polysulfone membranes (PSU) were modified by incorporation of carbon nanoparticles such as: multiwall carbon nanotubes (2 wt.% MWCNT), graphene oxide (1 wt.% GO), and graphite (5 wt.% GR) during manufacturing process (nonsolvent-induced phase separation, NIPS). The PSU flat sheet membrane was the reference sample. Observed morphology of nanocomposite membranes was similar (SEM imaging); all of them had finger-like pore structure with unimodal distribution of pore size and similar skin-to-support ratio (1:3). The carbon nanoadditives also influenced the surface wettability: hydrophobicity and surface free energy of membranes increased (polar components of energy were reduced, while the dispersive components were increased). The surface charge of nanocomposite membranes increased, when the polymer matrix has been modified with CNT or GR. This significantly affects the adsorption of proteins such as chicken (CSA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) and reduces blood clotting on the membrane.

Repairing surface defects of carbon fibers: Electrostatic spraying nano-carbons on stabilized PAN-fibers and subsequent thermal annealing

The introducing of nanomaterials on the carbon fibers (CFs) surface is an effective method for repairing surface defects. Due to the chemical inertness of CFs surface, the bonding force between reinforcing material and CFs is weak. In this paper, nano-carbons (graphene oxide and graphene quantum dots) were assembled to defects on surface of stabilized fibers (SFs) through electrostatic spraying assisted by airflow and then thermally annealed to enhance bonding force between nano-carbons and fibers. The distribution of nano-carbons on fibers surface was explored and it was found that the nano-carbons were directionally covered on or filled in defects on fibers surface to reduce specific surface area and pore volume. The chemical structures on fiber surface were discussed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomistic ReaxFF molecular dynamics simulation, and it suggested that covalent crosslinking occurred between CFs surface and nano-carbons. And further, the nano-scratch on fibers surface revealed a significant increase in the bonding force between nano-carbons and fiber after thermal annealing. The maximum tensile strength and Young´s modulus of CFs with nano-carbons increased 24.36% and 38.63%, respectively. Subsequently, the finite element simulation ABAQUS was adopted to demonstrate that the addition of nano-carbons alleviated stress concentration at defects on CFs surface. At the same time, the smaller stress and stress diffusion were found in CFs reinforced by graphene oxide than that with graphene quantum dots.

Low-oxygen, uniform, and dense Mo10Nb alloys obtained by combining in situ deoxygenation and mechanical alloying

A high oxygen content, poor uniformity and low density are difficult issues for Mo10Nb alloys prepared by powder metallurgy. In this study, Mo10Nb sintered billets are fabricated by nanocarbon addition and mechanical alloying. The results show that nanocarbon can remarkably reduce the O content of the Mo10Nb sintered billets with a slight increase in the C content. Low-oxygen, uniform, and dense Mo10Nb alloys can be obtained by combining in situ nanocarbon deoxygenation and mechanical alloying. Abrupt changes in stress appear in the stress–strain curves of the Mo10Nb alloy prepared from mixed powder, and the addition of nanocarbon can delay the first stress mutation. The stress changes are mainly caused by the unalloyed Nb containing a high oxygen content. However, the stress change disappears in the stress–strain curve of the Mo10Nb alloy with a low oxygen content, good uniformity and high density.

Analyzing the effect of carbon nanoparticles on the combustion performance and emissions of a DI diesel engine fueled with the diesel-methanol blend

With the energy crisis and worsening environmental pollution, methanol, as a carbon-neutral fuel, has become a research hotspot in the field of internal combustion engines. This study discusses the influence of different kinds (graphite oxide, GO; multilayer graphene, MG; carbon nanotubes, CNT) and concentrations of carbon nanoparticles, which do not introduce any new elements, added to the diesel-methanol blend on combustion performance and exhaust emissions in a direct injection (DI) diesel engine across diverse operating load conditions. The results showed that the nano-fuels with carbon nano-additives had a better combustion process, with higher peak cylinder pressure (Pmax) and peak heat release rate (HRRmax), and lower ignition delay (ID) and combustion duration (CD). Moreover, the presence of carbon nano-additives resulted in an improvement in brake thermal efficiency (BTE) and a decrement in the break-specific fuel consumption (BSFC). The nano-fuels with GO showed the best optimization effect on the combustion process, followed by MG and CNT. As for emission, the nano-fuels had fewer emissions of CO, HC, and smoke opacity. The nano-fuels with CNT achieved the most significant decrease in emissions of CO and HC. While the presence of GO had the best reduction effect in smoke opacity. However, there was a slight increase in NOx emission. The experimental findings demonstrate that the utilization of carbon nanoparticles in nano-fuels can effectively enhance the application of methanol in internal combustion engines.

A Comparison Study on Toughening Vinyl Ester Resins Using Different Nanocarbon Materials.

This study aims to comprehensively compare and evaluate the toughening effects of different nanocarbon materials on vinyl ester resins. Four typical nanocarbon materials, including graphene, graphene oxide (GO), single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), were used as reinforcing fillers for vinyl ester resins. These four nanocarbon materials were dispersed in the vinyl ester resin matrix by the combination of high-speed stirring and probe sonication, and their dispersion states were observed with optical microscopy. The effects of incorporating different nanocarbon materials on the viscosities, thermal properties, tensile properties, and fracture toughness of the resulting modified vinyl ester resins were systematically investigated. The results indicate that the four nanocarbon materials show enhanced toughening effects on the vinyl ester resin in the sequence of SWCNTs, GO, MWCNTs, and graphene. Compared with the control resin, the modified vinyl ester resin containing 0.2 wt% graphene shows 45% and 54% enhancements in the critical stress intensity factor (KIC) and critical strain energy release rate (GIC), respectively. The incorporation of the four nanocarbon materials has almost no effect on the glass transition temperatures of the resulting modified vinyl ester resins. This study provides valuable insights into the selection of nanocarbon additives for enhancing the toughness of vinyl ester resins.

A simple atomization approach enables monolayer dispersion of nano graphenes in cementitious composites with excellent strength gains

Carbon nano additives (CNAs) are critical to achieving the unique properties of functionalized composites, however, controlling the dispersion of CNAs in material matrix is always a challenging task. In this study, a simple atomization approach was successfully developed to promote the dispersion efficiency of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) in cement composites. This atomization approach can be integrated with the direct, indirect and combined ultrasonic stirrings in a homemade automatic stirring-atomization device. Mechanical and microstructure tests were performed on hardened cement pastes blended with GNPs in different stirring and mixing approaches. Results show that the direct ultrasonic stirrings enabled more homogeneous dispersions of GNP particles with a smaller size for a longer duration. The atomized droplets with the mean size of ∼100 ​μm largely mitigated GNPs’ agglomerations. Monolayer GNPs were observed in the cement matrix with the strength gain by up to 54%, and the total porosity decrease by 21% in 0.3 ​wt% GNPs dosage. The greatly enhanced dispersion efficiency of GNPs in cement also raised the cement hydration. This work provides an effective and manpower saving technique toward dispersing CNAs in engineering materials with great industrialization prospects.

Carbon-based nanoadditives induced enhancement of phase change thermal properties of sugar alcohol and interfacial heat transport mechanisms

Sugar alcohol phase change materials (SAPCMs) are gaining more attention in thermal storage due to their large energy storage density, wide melting temperature range, and excellent thermal cycling stability. However, the low thermal conductivity and high supercooling severely restrict their applications. In this study, two types of high thermal conductivity carbon-based nanoadditives (CBN), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and graphene (Gra) were selected to improve the thermal properties of mannitol and erythritol. From the experimental aspect, carbon nanoadditives were uniformly mixed with SAPCMs, and the phase change thermal properties of the composite PCMs were tested. The results indicate that graphene and MWCNT not only enhance the thermal conductivity of the SAPCMs but also suppress undercooling and latent heat difference. Then, the underlying mechanisms behind these observed phenomena were revealed from a microscopic perspective via the molecular dynamics (MD) method. The results demonstrate that Gra and MWCNT exhibit enhanced heat transfer by better matching the atomic vibrations of SAPCMs within the frequency range of 0–70 THz. However, we found that the interfacial thermal resistance (ITR) between SAPCMs and carbon nanoadditives weakens the thermal enhancement effect of the nanoparticles, with the most pronounced impact observed in MWCNT. This negative influence of interfacial thermal resistance can be mitigated by modifying the tube length, diameter, and layer count. This study can provide guidance for the design and application of SAPCM-based phase change materials.

Straw, biochar, and nanocarbon altered the enzymatic reaction kinetics and thermodynamic process of catalase in the black soil under continuous warming

ABSTRACT Different C influences the kinetic and thermodynamic behavior of catalase (CAT) remains unknown. The study aimed to assess the impact of three different C [straw, biochar, nanocarbon] on kinetic and thermodynamic characteristic of CAT in 5 °C ~ 45 °C. These three C-sources increased Vmax, Vmax/Km, and decreased Km, ΔG, ΔH, ΔS at different temperatures. The addition of nanocarbon induced significant changes in the soil enzymatic characteristics, resulting in the highest soil CAT-activity. After continuous-heating, the addition of three C-sources to the soil increased and then decreased the CAT-activity and its kinetic parameters and their values peaked at 15 °C or 25 °C. On the other hand, the ΔG showed decreasing and then increasing trend and ΔS gradually increased. Q 10 decreased and correlations between CAT and kinetic thermodynamic parameters were observed with increasing-temperature in three C-treatments. There was a significant correlation between soil’s physicochemical properties and soil CAT-activity and their enzymatic reaction characteristics after straw and biochar-treatments. However, an insignificant correlation was observed between the soil indexes after the nanocarbon-treatment. Thus, different C-sources could increase the soil CAT-activity by promoting the enzymatic reaction process under continuous-warming. The continues-warming without any change in the temperature-adaptation of CAT, but its temperature-sensitivity decreased after C-source addition.

Experimental Correlation of the Role of Synthesized Biochar on Thermal, Morphological, and Crystalline Properties of Coagulation Processed Poly(1,4-phenylene sulfide) Nanocomposites.

This work aimed to study the thermal and crystalline properties of poly (1,4-phenylene sulfide)@carbon char nanocomposites. Coagulation-processed nanocomposites of polyphenylene sulfide were prepared using the synthesized mesoporous nanocarbon of coconut shells as reinforcement. The mesoporous reinforcement was synthesized using a facile carbonization method. The investigation of the properties of nanocarbon was completed using SAP, XRD, and FESEM analysis. The research was further propagated via the synthesis of nanocomposites through the addition of characterized nanofiller into poly (1,4-phenylene sulfide) at five different combinations. The coagulation method was utilized for the nanocomposite formation. The obtained nanocomposite was analyzed using FTIR, TGA, DSC, and FESEM analysis. The BET surface area and average pore volume of the bio-carbon prepared from coconut shell residue were calculated to be 1517 m2/g and 2.51 nm, respectively. The addition of nanocarbon to poly (1,4-phenylene sulfide) led to an increase in thermal stability and crystallinity up to 6% loading of the filler. The lowest glass transition temperature was achieved at 6% doping of the filler into the polymer matrix. It was established that the thermal, morphological, and crystalline properties were tailored by synthesizing their nanocomposites with the mesoporous bio-nanocarbon obtained from coconut shells. There is a decline in the glass transition temperature from 126 °C to 117 °C using 6% filler. The measured crystallinity was decreased continuously, with the mixing of the filler exhibiting the incorporation of flexibility in the polymer. So, the loading of the filler into poly (1,4-phenylene sulfide) can be optimized to enhance its thermoplastic properties for surface applications.

ВЛИЯНИЕ АЛЛОТРОПНЫХ НАНОРАЗМЕРНЫХ ФОРМ УГЛЕРОДА НА ВОСПРИИМЧИВОСТЬ ЭНЕРГОНАСЫЩЕННЫХ МЕТАЛЛОКОМПЛЕКСОВ К ЛАЗЕРНОМУ КОГЕРЕНТНОМУ ИЗЛУЧЕНИЮ

The review describes examples of increasing the susceptibility of photosensitive energy-saturated metal complexes to the effects of coherent laser radiation when nanocarbon materials are introduced into samples. Possible mechanisms of the synergistic effect of the influence of nanocarbon additives on the ignition thresholds of the complexes are proposed

Optimization of Composition of Nanofiber Concrete in Terms of Fracture Toughness by Matrix Modifiсation

Concrete is a quasi-brittle building material that has low tensile strength. The process of its destruction under loading is inhomogeneous, due to the nature of the concrete structure mass, consisting of components with different physical and mechanical properties. Gradual deformation and destruction can be characterized as a process of formation and development of microcracks. The presence of different-sized components in concrete makes it possible to consider its structure as a multi-level system. In this system, each level is a matrix with its own structural inclusions, which play both a structure-forming role and the role of stress concentrators under the action of mechanical loads. The critical stress intensity factor is a good indicator of the crack resistance (fracture toughness) of a material. Nanoconcrete, from the point of view of a multilevel system, is a concrete composite with crack propagation inhibitors at the level of the cementing substance (carbon nanotubes are consi-dered as inhibitors). The presence of fiber fibers at subsequent scale levels allows us to consider concrete as a composite with multi-level dispersed reinforcement (nanofiber concrete). The paper discusses the change of concrete fracture toughness indicator (crack resistance) with dispersed reinforcement of the matrix at different structural levels. The presented for normal separation of notched cubes under eccentric compression with the determination of the stress intensity factor for concrete modified with carbon nanotubes acting as crack propagation inhibitors at the level of cementing substance (nanoconcrete), as well as for nanofiber concrete with dispersed reinforcement at the level of fine-grained concrete. Based on experimental studies by non-equilibrium methods of fracture mechanics, compositions of nanofiber-reinforced concrete of maximum crack resistance (fracture toughness) with different fiber concentrations and several types of matrices modified with nanocarbon additives are proposed in the paper.

An Investigation on The Effect of Carbon Nanoparticles on The Properties of Carbon Brushes

The demand for carbon brushes with specific properties and improvements in production economics in recent years has led to increased interest in metal-graphite composites. Metal matrix composites are considered excellent materials to obtain properties superior to those of the constituent phases and meet the specific requirements of material application. In the present study, we suggested a new composite material by utilizing nanomaterials to improve the properties of metal-graphite composite material usually used as carbon brushes. This has been achieved by adding different percentages of 0.1-0.5wt % of carbon nanotubes, carbon nanospheres, or both to the metal matrix composite. The samples were prepared by powder metallurgy technique. The XRD results gave a sharp line and indicated a high crystalline structure and little amorphous, which improved the conductivity performance of the composite produced within the structure of this work. The density measurement chart results showed an increase in the amounts of the carbon nano additives leading to a decrease in the density of the sample. The investigation of nano additives on hardness showed that increases in the additive led to reduced hardness. On the other hand, the resistivity values have reduced gradually when there is an increase in the amounts of the carbon nano additives, especially on the CNT, which gives better results than CNS, which we obtained the resistivity value =(0.32 Ωcm), Comparing with commercial-grade containing free of nano additives (1.3Ω cm).

Investigating the Effect of Carbon Nano Additives on the Adsorption of GR & T Scale Inhibitor

Scale deposition is a prominent issue in the flow assurance that needs to be prevented to avoid reduction in the oil production. Scale includes various types of non-organic salts that might deposit in the reservoir and/or in the production tubing under different production conditions. A common practice to prevent scale deposition is to carry on scale inhibitor squeeze treatment. However, conventional squeeze treatment suffers from slow adsorption rate, limited adsorption amount and quick desorption rate. Collectively, the conventional squeeze treatment suffers from short lifetime and the operation must be repeated multiple times a year, which adds more cost. Nanotechnology is an emerging technology which has various applications in the oil and gas industry. Consequently, Nano carbon-based enhanced squeeze treatment (NCEST) was introduced to overcome squeeze treatment shortcomings and enhance the treatment lifetime through coating the nearby area of the wellbore with carbon based nanoparticles. However, the application of recent nanofluid-based coating technology was limited to specific scale inhibitors (EDTA & PPCA) as well as particular nanomaterials (CNT & GO). This work is aimed at investigating the adsorption of a new scale inhibitor (GR&T scale inhibitor) into four different carbon nanomaterials (Graphene Nano plates, Multi-layer graphene, carbon Nanotubes and Functionalized-carbon Nanotubes) under a static condition. Due to time and apparatus constraints, the scope of the work will be limited to investigating the adsorption of (GR & T) scale inhibitor which is provided by Petronas to only four carbon nanomaterials at concentrations within a range of (2000-20,000 ppm). In this research, the adsorption of (GR & T) scale inhibitor into four different carbon Nano additives was tested and screened. Then, the best carbon nanomaterial (Graphene Nano plates which has not been studied before in the zone of Nano carbon-based enhanced squeeze treatment) was selected for the next stages of investigation in which the optimum concentration as well as the optimum condition of dispersion were identified. Also, the role of surfactant addition with the introduction of a new, safer and cut-price surfactant (gum Arabic) on the adsorption and dispersion improvement was approached. Furthermore, the effect of soaking time upon the Nano additive adsorption was detected. On top of that, the maximum adsorption capacity of the carbon nanomaterial with higher concentrations of GR &T scale inhibitor was tested as well.

Ultra-high strength multicomponent composites based on reactive magnesia: Tailoring of material properties by addition of 1D and 2D carbon nanoadditives

In this study a novel high-performance construction composites based on MOC (magnesium oxychloride cement) co-doped by graphene and multi-walled carbon nanotubes were developed. These materials were studied in order to create a possible alternative to the commonly used Portland cement (PC) with sufficient water resistance and very good mechanical properties. The influence of the content of the carbon-based nanoadditives on the mechanical, macro- and micro-structural, chemical and physical properties was analyzed. Among the analytical methods, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and others were used. Overall, three groups of samples were prepared, one reference and two containing the combined dopants. The combined effect of the 1D and 2D carbon nanomaterials resulted in highly increased flexural strength (up to 42.1%), compressive strength (up to 18.2%) and decrease in the water absorption coefficient (up to 48.2%), which is crucial for this type of binder. As the composite adopted the properties of the single dopants, the thermal conductivity also increased. The overall enhancement of the MOC matrix is connected to the significant drop in porosity when the carbon-based nanoadditives are used. The obtained results might show a potential route in the development of high-performance environmentally sustainable alternatives to PC.

Eksperimentalno istraživanje efekata modifikacije trenja različitih nanoforma grafenskih aditiva u ulju za podmazivanje motora

This article presents the results of an experimental investigation of different nanoforms of graphene used as a nano additive in engine lubricating oil. The experiments were carried out on a pin-on-disc tribometer at the Department of Internal Combustion Engines and Propulsions at Széchenyi István University. The paper introduces the experimental equipment and the experimental method and presents the research findings. The paper concludes that fullerene can decrease friction by 7% on average when used as a nano additive in engine lubricating oil. Furthermore, fullerene did not present a sedimentation problem when used as an additive up to 0.25 wt% in lubricant instead of graphene and multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The paper attempts to explain the friction decreasing effect and the possible roles of carbon nano additives in tribological systems.

Constructing nanocarbon-loaded precisely phase transition-tuned energy composite eutectics with enhanced thermal conductivity: Nanocarbon’s crystallinity-dependent thermal transport

In this study, a eutectic composition consisting of myristic and stearic acid (MS) are developed to establish a cooling system with suitable operational temperature and enhanced thermal transport by adding a class of carbon nanoadditives (few-layer graphene platelets (FGP), nitrogen-doped tubular carbon (NTC) and deoxygenated graphene oxide (DGO)). Nanoadditives are added to phase transition-tuned eutectic phase change materials to derive at figure-of-merit (FOM) in enhancing thermal transport. MS-FGP exhibited significant thermal conductivity improvement as compared to MS-NTC and MS-DGO for 1 wt% loading. After ascertaining FOM, a system with variable FGP is developed, and it exhibited an increase in thermal conductivity of 128%, 420% and 597% for 1, 3 and 5 wt%, respectively. This study shed light on elucidation of underlying mechanism for nanocarbon’s structutural degree dependent thermal transport. This systematic approach could lay a step forward for controlling extreme operational temperature for thermal safety of an efficient high-powered Li-ion battery system to achieve prolonged life and energy density using phase change materials.

Preparation and capacitive storage properties of multidimensional (1-D and 2-D) nanocarbon-hybridized N-containing porous carbon for carbon/carbon supercapacitor: Nanocarbon-aided capacitance boosting

To design a unique electrode material based on multimaterial-coupled hybrids, we report on capacitive energy storage characteristics of porous hybrid consisting of nitrogen-enriched carbon (NC) coated on few-layered graphene platelets (FGP), nitrogen-incorporated tubular carbon (NTC) and deoxygenated graphene oxide (DGO) appropriate for carbon/carbon supercapacitor. Nanotextured porous carbon loaded with FGP, NTC, DGO and YP-50 exhibited a specific capacitance of 188, 147, 121, and 114 F/g (at 0.5 A/g) and capacity retention of 96.82%, 93.26%, 90.50% and 96.43% (for 1000 cycles), respectively. PNCG//PNCG (FGP loaded) exhibited a maximum energy density of 28.17 Wh/kg with the maximum power density of 4160 W/kg, superior to commercially applied YP-50 (16.32 Wh/kg and 2977 W/kg) using compressed graphite foil based current collector. This systematic method could open up a state-of-the-art approach to apply PNCG in high performance energy storage devices. • Intensifying process parameters for NCT and DGO synthesis. • Preparation of N-enriched porous carbon loaded with carbon nanoadditives. • PNCG (28.17 Wh/kg & 4160 W/kg) superior to YP-50 (16.32 Wh/kg & 2977 W/kg). • Overall, capacitive energy storage: PNCG >PNCT> YP-50 >PNCD. • Compressed expanded-graphite foil explored as current collector.

The Effect of High-Energy Ball Milling Conditions on Microstructure and Hydrogen Desorption Properties of Magnesium Hydride and Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Magnesium hydride is considered to be one of the most promising hydrogen storage materials, although it nevertheless has some problems, such as the high value of the activation energy of hydrogen desorption. To solve this problem, some scientists have proposed adding nanocarbon materials, in particular carbon nanotubes, to magnesium hydride. Currently, a detailed understanding of the mechanisms of obtaining composites based on magnesium hydride and carbon nanotubes is lacking, as is our understanding of the effect of nanocarbon additives on the activation energy and temperature of hydrogen desorption depending on the parameters of the composite synthesis. In addition, the data obtained at various values of milling parameters are very different, and in some works the effect of carbon nanomaterials on the hydrogen properties of magnesium hydride was not confirmed at all. Thus, it is important to determine the effect of nanocarbon additives on the properties of hydrogen storage of magnesium hydride under various milling parameters. This work is devoted to the study of the effect of nanocarbon additives on magnesium hydride and the determination of the dependences of the hydrogen desorption temperature and activation energy on the synthesis parameters. Composite powders containing MgH2 with 5 wt.% single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) were prepared using a planetary ball mill. The milling was carried out at various milling speeds, namely 300, 660, and 900 rpm. Results suggested that the structure of the nanotubes is preserved with prolonged grinding of magnesium hydride and SWCNT in a ball mill for 180 min at a relatively low grinding speed of 300 rpm. The composite obtained with these parameters has the lowest temperature of hydrogen desorption and an activation energy of H2 desorption of 162 ± 1 kJ/mol H2, which is 15% lower than that of the magnesium hydride MgH2 (189 ± 1 kJ/mol H2).

Impact of MgO-C with CMA- and Nanocarbon Addition on Steel Cleanliness

Impact of MgO-C with CMA- and Nanocarbon Addition on Steel Cleanliness

Mechanical and Structural Properties of Nanocarbon Particles Reinforced in Plasticised Polylactic Acid for High Strength Application

High strength application of biopolymers requires good mechanical strength. The tensile properties of polylactic acid (PLA) are relatively low for major industrial applications such as packaging, biomedical and automobile spare parts. In this study, the mechanical strength of polylactic acid was enhanced with nanocarbon isolated from diesel engine combustion soot. The isolated nanocarbon was characterised using spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis. After that, the nanocarbon was used as a reinforcement in plasticised PLA to produce a composite. The PLA-nanocarbon composite was produced using the compression moulding technique. The nanocarbon composition was varied between 2 wt% and 8 wt% in the PLA matrix. The tensile, hardness and morphological properties of the composite were analysed with the tensile test, hardness test, optical microscope and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The ultraviolet (UV) spectrometer and FTIR analysis results confirmed the successful isolation of nanocarbon from the diesel engine combustion soot. The tensile and hardness properties of the PLA matrix increased with addition of nanocarbon. The morphological images showed good miscibility between the PLA and the nanocarbon reinforcement, responsible for the increase in mechanical properties. The potential use of the composite for high strength application showed great possibility based on the result obtained.