Carbon Nanotube Polymer Research Articles

Synthesis and characterisation of nickel oxide-carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotube polymer nanocomposites

Synthesis and characterisation of nickel oxide-carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotube polymer nanocomposites

Multi-axial elastic–viscoplastic curves of unidirectional carbon nanotube-polymer nanocomposites considering interphase and interface debonding using finite element modeling

This paper aims to predict the elastic-viscoplastic curves of unidirectional carbon nanotube (CNT)-reinforced polymer nanocomposites under the multi-axial tensions, including bi-axial transverse-transverse, bi-axial longitudinal-transverse and tri-axial longitudinal-transverse-transverse loadings by the use of finite element (FE) modeling. The role of the interphase between the CNT and polymer matrix as well as the debonding at the CNT/interphase interface in the stress-strain curves of nanocomposites is investigated. The polymer matrix and interphase region are characterized as elastic-viscoplastic materials, while the CNT behaves as the elastic material. The present results in uni-axial loading are compared to the available numerical outcomes for indicating the accuracy of the FE modeling. The simulation of multi-axial load conditions is based on the three-dimensional representative volume element (RVE) of the unidirectional CNT-polymer nanocomposite. The effect of interface strength on the elastic-viscoplastic stress-strain curves is examined under bi-axial and tri-axial loadings.

Optical and dielectric behaviors of polyvinyl chloride incorporated with MgFe2O4/MWCNTs

Casting and wet chemical methods have been used to produce polyvinyl chloride/magnesium ferrite/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (PVC-MgFe2O4-MWCNTs) polymer nanocomposites. Full characterization was carried out applying x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM/EDS), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) techniques. MWCNTs disclosed high crystalline nature and Rietveld refinement revealed nanostructure for MgFe2O4 with average size 16 nm. Optical properties were inferred by diffused reflectance spectrophotometry, fluorescence (FL), and chromaticity (CIE). Upon loading PVC with MgFe2O4/MWCNT, both direct and indirect bandgaps were reduced, the absorbance was enhanced greatly, while transmittance and reflectance were reduced. The refractive index was reduced except for PVC/MgFe2O4 where it enhanced for λ > 450 nm and increased with incident photon energy. The optical conductivity is highly enhanced for the whole wavelength range. According to FL and CIE results, the FL peak intensity of pure PVC polymer decreased upon loading MgFe2O4 and quenched further upon adding MWCNTs to the polymer. PVC emitted in the blue range while doped PVC emitted in blue-violet regions. The effect of MgFe2O4 and/or MWCNTs on the ac conductivity, electrical dielectric constant and electric modulus of PVC was investigated at room temperature. Based on the characterization data, the synthesized polymer nanocomposites have potential applications in several different optoelectronic settings.

Topological states in the polymerized carbon nanotubes

In this work, we report by ab initio calculations a systematical study on the energetic, dynamical, and electronic properties of polymerized (2n+1,0) (n=2,3,4) sing wall carbon nanotubes, termed as CNT(5,0), CNT(7,0), and CNT(9,0) carbon. The total energy calculations show that the equilibrium energies of the three carbon allotropes are lower than or comparable to the previously proposed bct-C16, bco-C16, and ors-C16 carbon. Their dynamical stabilities have been confirmed with phonon band spectrum calculations and their thermal stabilities have been confirmed with ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Despite their unified space group symmetries and similar bonding types, their electronic properties are distinct: CNT(5,0) and CNT(7,0) carbon are topological nodal line semimetals with nodal rings in kx=0 and kz=0 mirror planes respectively, while the CNT(9,0) carbon is a semiconductor. To understand their distinct electronic behaviors, we provide a systematical explanation from the real space crystalline structure perspective. Our work has enriched the family of carbon allotropes with exotic band topologies and provide insights for the relations between real space crystalline structures and momentum space band topologies.

Numerical and analytical modelling of effective thermal conductivity of multi-walled carbon nanotubes polymer nanocomposites including the effect of nanotube orientation and interfacial thermal resistance

Multi-walled carbon Nanotube (MWCNT) fillers are extensively used to improve the thermomechanical properties of polymers. In this study, five different weight fractions (0%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, and 1%) of MWCNT-polymer nanocomposites were prepared by the solution mixing technique. The thermal conductivity of MWCNT-polymer nanocomposites was investigated using the laser flash method. The closed-form solution of the modified Mori-Tanaka homogenization method was developed for the accurate estimation of the thermal conductivity of nanocomposite materials after considering the influence of interfacial thermal resistance (ITR). The finite element simulation of RVE modelling was utilized to predict the thermal conductivity of nanocomposites with and without consideration of the interfacial thermal resistance effect. A perfect bond was assumed between MWCNT and polymer for both numerical and analytical studies. The thermal conductivity results obtained from the closed-form solution of the modified Mori-Tanaka method were in good agreement with both the finite element simulation (FEM) and experimental results.

Lubricity effectiveness of bio-lubricant modified with multi-wall carbon nanotube and organic polymer

The development of effective bio lubricants with anti-friction and wear properties is gaining recognition due to their ecofriendly nature and good lubrications in mitigating challenges associated with friction and wear on tribo-components during lubrication. In this research, rapeseed oil served as the base lubricant, and the high frequency reciprocating rig was utilized to examine the responsiveness of the multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and Eichhornia crassipes carboxylmethyl cellulose (EC-CMC) polymer additives. To determine the constituents and strength of the formulations, the samples were characterized using scanning electron microscope, Energy-dispersive X-ray, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The tribological test was conducted in terms of synergistic tendency, load carrying capacity, friction and wear reduction as well as tribo-film nature. The investigation came to the following conclusions: Depending on the operating conditions, all nanoparticle suspensions showed decreases in friction and wear relative to the base oil; MWCNTs yielded better wear reduction performance while EC-CMC demonstrated outstanding friction reduction operations compared to based lubricant; the suspensions with 0.8% MWCNTs +0.5% EC-CMC had the best tribological behavior, exhibiting high percentage reduction on friction (67.8%) and wear (37.9%) with low levels on the surface roughness. Using XPS analysis, the detection of additive elements and tribo-films on the wear surfaces was validated, and their nature was analyzed in the context of the related tribo-chemistry findings. The study concluded that effective friction reduction during testing is a result of the additive's rapid penetration into the interface region and its nanosized structure.

Role of graded microstructure and electrolyte distribution in electrochemical capacitance of compressible three-dimensional carbon nanotubes-polymer foam based supercapacitor

Three-dimensional microstructure of carbon materials has a prime importance in supercapacitor for energy storage. Carbon nanotubes (CNT) provide microstructurally porous structure via entangled nodes that dynamically changes with the uniaxial compression. A unique graded CNT-polymer based three-dimensional compressible cellular foam is used as an electrode material for the solid-state supercapacitor. A direct correlation was established between the applied strain and resulting electrochemical capacitance when the foam electrode was soaked and unsoaked in the electrolyte. In a novel finding, unsoaked electrodes revealed in an extraordinary enhancement of ∼1216% in gravimetric capacitance measured at a uniaxial strain of 80% and to no surprise, the electrochemical capacitance of electrolyte-soaked electrodes remained nearly invariant from its uncompressed state. The response of electrochemical capacitance under compression is also observed varying with the mode of compression i.e. quasi-static versus pre-compressed state to a targeted strain. The role of graded microstructure during uniaxial compression was verified by using as-grown CNT mat for the electrodes of a supercapacitor. The results demonstrated a dominating contribution of dynamic variation in the density of nodes in the compressed CNT mat. The impact of macroscopic variation on the response of electrochemical capacitance of a compressed cellular CNT-polymer foam was further understood using the separators of varying pore sizes. Our results pave the way to engineer the three-dimensional compressible cellular structures for extraordinarily large energy storage capacity.

Design Framework for Polymer Nanocomposite Flexible Strain Sensor Adhesive Tape

In the emerging flexible electronics field, flexible and wearable sensors play a crucial role. Though many reports focused on developing flexible sensors with novel materials, translational research is scarce. The present research focuses on a design framework for flexible strain sensors considering the design scalability, packaging feasibility and end users’ issues along with performance. To be specific, a flexible strain sensor tape framework is designed and developed using poly (vinylidene chloride-co-vinyl chloride) (PVDC-co-VC) and polystyrene sulfonate functionalized carbon nanotube (PSS-CNT) polymer nanocomposite with underneath adhesive coating and a copper contact pad atop the sensor. At the outset, numerical simulation is also carried out to understand the impact of uneven adhesive thickness profile on the sensor performance and emphasis the necessity of uniform adhesive coating underneath the sensor. Further, the PVDC-co-VC/PSS-CNT polymer nanocomposite is systematically optimized to find its percolation threshold to achieve its maximum performance. Later, the scaled-up long flexible strain sensor tape is developed and validated by measuring the gauge factor in multiple positions along the length of the sensor tape; it shows the uniform gauge factor value of 15.2±0.8 which ensures the sensor’s repeatability and reproducibility. As a testimony, the developed flexible strain sensor is demonstrated for wearable electronics applications with an indigenously developed IOT-enabled portable interface device. The present flexible strain sensor tape design framework supports scalability, and packaging feasibility and solves end users’ installation issues.

Subsurface damage detection via noncontact laser based surface level strain sensing smart skin with carbon nanotubes

Subsurface damage may remain undetected for long periods and accumulate until it leads to structural failure. Non-destructive measurements of surface strain can provide critical data for detecting early symptoms of hidden damage and helping to prevent serious consequences. This study investigates the capabilities of the developed method called strain-sensing smart skin (S4) to find internal damage. The S4 method uses single-wall carbon nanotubes in a thin polymer coating as optically interrogated fluorescent strain sensors to measure the strain map. A set of aluminum specimens with internal cavities representing damage were coated both with S4 films and with digital image correlation (DIC) speckle patterns. Maps of surface strain from the two methods were then compared (after the application of tensile stress to the specimens) to compute finite element method (FEM) strain maps. The strain maps obtained from S4 point-wise laser scanning agreed well with FEM predictions, while DIC strain maps were not very precise. S4 maps revealed strain map features with superior accuracy. It is concluded that S4 strain mapping can be used as a non-destructive evaluation method for detecting and visualizing subsurface damage in structural elements for structural health monitoring.

Tenon effects at drilled multi-walled carbon nanotubes to strongly enhance mechanical and luminescent properties of epoxy resin composites

The effectiveness of mechanical enhancement of carbon nanotubes-polymer matrices, particularly, epoxy resin (EP), depends strongly on the interface interaction between constituents. Providing rough surface and chemical activity of CNTs is the effective way to reach that. To explore both approaches, in this study, unzipped CNTs (uCNTs) and drilled CNTs (dCNTs)were prepared by Hummers methods and chemical etching. The structure of uCNTs and dCNTs were characterized by FT-IR, TG and XPS. The Eu3+ complexes were anchored to CNTs, uCNTs, and dCNTs via strong interaction to form a stable “tenon” structure. That materials were found useful to fabricate the composite with EP. Our study reveals that the ultimate tensile and flexural strengths of Eu-dCNTs/EP increases by 161% and 226%, indicating that Eu-dCNTs improves significantly the mechanical properties of EP. The drilling treatment and the “tenon” structure of the Eu-dCNTs hybrid play a key role in improving the mechanical properties of EP. Fracture morphology and the strengthening mechanism were discussed. Our study shows an effectiveness of using dCNTs and uCNTs to fabricate luminescent polymer composites with enhanced properties.

Synergetic Enhancement of Seebeck Coefficients and Electrical Conductivity in Flexible Liquid Crystal Composites

The development of thermoelectric (TE) devices, which convert thermal gradient into energy, was motivated by the immense amount of heat wasted from solar radiation and industrial heat dissipation. Polymer-based organic thermoelectric (OTE) materials have garnered much interest owing to their distinctive advantages, including low thermal conductivity, minimal toxicities, low cost, and superior mechanical elasticity. However, the TE performance of these organic materials is mainly limited due to their low Seebeck coefficient and poor electrical conductivity. In this work, we simultaneously improve the Seebeck coefficients and electrical conductivity of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymer and single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT)-based composites by incorporating a liquid crystal (LC). This is attributed to the thermodiffusion of ions and the formation of stable and efficient conductive channels with LC incorporation. The concentration of LC is suitably tuned, which results in an increment of ∼42% Seebeck coefficient and ∼72% electrical conductivity compared to the reference PVDF/SWCNT composite. The tensile strain curve shows that the durability of the composite samples has increased by incorporating the LC. Also, a flexible thermoelectric generator (TEG) device consisting of eight composite legs is constructed, which shows an open circuit voltage and output power of 35.7 mV and 46.1 nW, respectively, at a temperature difference of 60 K. The findings show that LC-based SWCNT/PVDF composites exhibit superior TE potential and provide a new route for fabricating flexible TE devices.

Carbon nanotube polymer nanocomposites coated aggregate enabled highly conductive concrete for structural health monitoring

Recently, we proposed a new strategy to develop a three-dimensional conductive network within a cement mortar by coating sand with graphene. In such a design, the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) was directly embedded in the conductive network, thus resulting in high piezoresistive performance. Considering that the ITZ between coarse aggregate and paste is typically much more vulnerable than that of the ITZ between fine aggregate and paste, here we extend this strategy to concrete, whose piezoresistive property has been rarely reported yet intimately relevant for practical application. Conductive fine and coarse aggregates are readily prepared by dipping coating with carbon nanotube (CNT) polymer slurry. Because of the high volume percentage of aggregates (∼70%) in concrete, the obtained concrete exhibit very high conductivity at low CNT usage of 0.41% (by weight of cement), several orders of magnitude higher than that reported before at similar CNT load. We find that the mixture incorporating conductive aggregates has a 28-day electrical resistivity of 1076 Ω cm with a compressive strength loss of 17.8%. On this basis, we further optimize the high-conductivity concrete by connecting conductive aggregates with a small amount of 0.25 wt% carbon fibre, which demonstrates an outstanding 28-day electrical resistivity of 235 Ω cm and an excellent fractional change in resistivity of ∼80%, more than one order of magnitude higher than those obtained in comparable systems. The experimental results also testify that our smart concrete exhibits acceptable mechanical properties and durability. The simple operation and low-cost benefits make our smart concrete demonstrate great potential for large-scale practical application.

Electrochemical Sensing of Gallic Acid in Beverages Using a 3D Bio-Nanocomposite Based on Carbon Nanotubes/Spongin-Atacamite.

Gallic acid (GA) is one of the most important polyphenols, being widely used in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries due to its biological effects such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancer, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective properties. Hence, simple, fast, and sensitive determination of GA is of particular importance. Considering the fact that GA is an electroactive compound, electrochemical sensors offer great potential for GA quantitation due to their fast response time, high sensitivity, and ease of use. A simple, fast, and sensitive GA sensor was fabricated on the basis of a high-performance bio-nanocomposite using spongin as a natural 3D polymer, atacamite, and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The developed sensor showed an excellent response toward GA oxidation with remarkable electrochemical features due to the synergistic effects of 3D porous spongin and MWCNTs, which provide a large surface area and enhance the electrocatalytic activity of atacamite. At optimal conditions by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), a good linear relationship was obtained between peak currents and GA concentrations in a wild linear range of 500 nM to 1 mM. Subsequently, the proposed sensor was used to detect GA in red wine as well as in green and black tea, confirming its great potential as a reliable alternative to conventional methods for GA determination.

MWCNTs polymer nanocomposite with enhanced thermomechanical properties and electrical insulation for effective encapsulation

This study presents the effect of the variation in weight fraction of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in polymer with the objective of enhancing the thermo-mechanical properties along with the electrical insulating properties. Polymer multi-walled nanocomposites (PMWCNC) and MWCNTs/Al2O3 bi-layer nanocomposites were prepared by solution mixing method with ultrasonication and magnetic stirring, then molded in vertical sandwich molds, made of acrylic and aluminum sheet as per ASTM standards. The tensile strength of PMWCNC was enhanced by 32%, 23%, 15%, and 5% compared to unmodified epoxy with the incorporation of 1 wt%, 0.75 wt%, 0.5 wt%, and 0.25 wt% of MWCNTs. The dispersion morphology of MWCNTs in epoxy was observed with field emission-scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). The thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) investigation found that increasing the weight percentage of MWCNTs resulted in improved thermal stability. The enhanced electrical conductivity of PMWCNC caused by the addition of MWCNTs was countered through the deposition of a thin film layer of alumina-filled polymer nanocomposite on the top surface of PMWCNC to retain the electrical insulation properties. The representative volume element (RVE) technique was employed to predict the effective modulus of nanocomposite based on the various constituent properties, weight fractions and interfacial behavior between MWCNTs and epoxy with the help of finite element analysis. Additionally, Modified Mori-Tanaka (MMT) micromechanics scheme was used to find the effective elastic modulus of the nanocomposite with the help of the MATLAB code. The elastoplastic behavior of polymer nanocomposites was also simulated in ANSYS APDL through the Voce model. The enhanced thermomechanical properties while retaining the electrical insulation properties suggest that the MWCNTs-based polymer would make the electronic chip more reliable.

Dielectric characteristics of multiwall carbon nanotube-filled polyaniline

The dielectric properties of in-situ polymerized polyaniline-multiwalled carbon nanotubes (PANI/MWCNTs) nanocomposite sample were analyzed as a function of temperature (153–353 K) and applied frequency (1 Hz–1000 KHz) over a wide range. To introduce heterogeneity in PANI, MWCNTs (4 wt%) were embedded into the PANI matrix during the polymerization, whereas, to control the electrical conductivity, the synthesized material was reduced via chemical treatment with ammonia. FTIR spectroscopy studies confirm the synthesis of PANI/MWCNTs nanocomposite in lower conducting (emeraldine base) dielectric state. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the prepared sample reveals the semi-crystalline nature. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) investigation indicates that synthesized sample is more stable even at 800 °C. The dielectric studies reveal that the static dielectric constant of the prepared sample enhances with the enhancement in temperature and found to decrease with applied frequency. The enhancement in dielectric constant with temperature may be associated with the enhancement in mobility of the electric dipoles in the conducting polymer. The dielectric constant for the reduced PANI/MWCNTs composite (i.e. ∼1170) is high as compared to reduced pristine PANI (i.e. ∼538). The value of dc electrical conductivity has been decreased from 77 S/cm to 7.81x10−10 S/cm due to reduction of PANI/MWCNTs nanocomposite which indicates the enhancement in dielectric properties. The ac electrical conductivity of synthesized nanocomposite was also found to enhance with an increase in operating temperature, which may be endorsed to the enhancement in activated trapped charge carriers’ concentration.

Carbendazim trace analysis in different samples by using nanostructured modified carbon paste electrode as voltametric sensor.

Carbendazim (CBZ) as a fungicide is widely used to control fungal diseases in agriculture, veterinary medicine, and forestry. In this study, molecularly imprinted nano-size polymer was synthesized and then combined with multiwalled carbon nanotubes to be used as modifiers for carbon paste electrode to detect carbendazim in water, fruit, agricultural wastewater, and urine samples by using the square-wave technique. Some common ions and pesticides were investigated as interferences in analyte, to study the sensitivity and selectivity of the modified carbon paste electrode for carbendazim. The combination of molecular imprinted polymer and multiwalled carbon nanotubes showed a significant increase in peak current in electrocatalytic activity on electrochemical detection of the carbendazim. The linear range of 1 × 10-10 to 5 × 10-8 molL-1 was investigated. The lower detection limit was determined to be 0.2 × 10-10 molL-1, and the relative standard deviation for the target molecule analysis was 2.07%. The result reveals that the modified carbon paste sensor with Multi walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) and Molecular Imprinted Polymer (MIPs) can be used easily, without preparation steps that have high selectivity and sensitivity to determine carbendazim in water, fruit, agricultural wastewater, and urine samples.

Conductive and Self-Healing Carbon Nanotube–Polymer Composites for Mechanically Strong Smart Materials

It is a great challenge to develop polymeric materials possessing multiple functionalities for their intrinsic properties. In our efforts to overcome this dilemma, we report a carbon nanotube (CNT)-doped polymer architecture design in this paper using a soft matrix synthesized from methacrylic acid and poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate via reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization and further functionalized by 1-pyrenemethanol and doped with hard, stiff CNTs as fillers. The CNTs were dispersed evenly into the pyrene-functionalized copolymers obtained via the solution blending method. Our approach is simple, low-energy-consuming, facile in operation, and highly efficient. The developed composites demonstrate high mechanical strength, self-healing ability, and high electrical conductivity. To further maximize the potential of our CNT-filled composites, we introduced a simple but effective means to align CNTs by directional stretching at elevated temperatures and so achieved significant mechanical and electrical reinforcement. The multifunctional composites produced in this paper have desirable properties for future applications such as conductive bioskins, healthcare monitoring sensors, and other functional conductive electronics.

Unveiling the restricted mobility of carbon nanotubes inside a long chain branched polymer matrix via probing the shear flow effects on the rheological and electrical properties of the filled systems.

The present work has aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of the effects of shear flow on the behaviors of nano filler evolution inside linear and long chain branched polymer matrices. Accordingly, measurements consisting of transient start-up shear rheology coupled with small amplitude oscillatory sweep (SAOS) and dielectric tests were designed. Linear polypropylene (PPC) and polypropylene (PPH) with long chain branching (LCB) were chosen as the polymer matrices and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the nanofillers. The percolation threshold of the LCB PPH nanocomposites was found to be higher than for linear PPC, due to the high viscosity and elasticity of LCB PPH. A transient shear with different shear rates was imposed on the composites after which SAOS and electrical conductivity measurements were conducted. The liquid-solid transitions of the nanocomposites were found to be different and to depend on the shear flow conditions (shear rate). For the linear PPC, higher shear rates caused the filler network to break down while lower shear rates helped the nanofillers to agglomerate. Interestingly, for LCB PPH, both higher and lower pre-shear rates resulted in the breakup of the filler networks, which was due to the restricted mobility of the CNTs by the LCB. The confinement of the polymer chains to the CNTs and their aggregates made it difficult for the fillers to move thus causing the formed network to be easily destroyed even under slow and slight shears. Similarly, the trend was also found after shear flows as reflected by the increase and decrease of electrical conductivities.

Towards a cost-effective carbon nanofillers-based composites for EMI shielding applications

This work investigates the idea of using a mixture of nanofillers to reduce the cost of raw materials needed to achieve certain levels of electrical conductivity and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. Composites based on polypropylene/polyethylene PP/PE as a polymer matrix and carbon nanotubes (CNT) or CNT: carbon black (CB) mixture as conductive nanofillers were prepared by melt mixing. Because CNT has higher electrical conductivity and aspect ratio than CB, CNT-based composites exhibited higher EMI shielding than CNT:CB-based composites. However, to formulate a composite with an EMI shielding of 30 dB, if the CNT/CB price ratio is higher than 2.0, the CNT:CB-based composite will have a cost advantage over the CNT-based composite. Even though the hybrid mixture did not show synergistic effects on the properties, it can help reduce the cost of the raw materials by replacing a portion of the expensive nanofiller.

Vertical alignment of carbon nanotubes in photo-curable polymer for multi-functional hybrid materials

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are nanomaterials with excellent mechanical strength, electric conductivity, and low weight. Interestingly, vertically aligned CNTs show much higher mechanical and electrical properties than randomly networked CNTs, because CNTs are much more resistant to axial impacts than lateral impacts; this study suggests an efficient process to produce vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (VA-MWNT)-photocurable polymer hybrid materials. VA-MWNTs can fortify the mechanical properties of polymer composites even with very small amounts of MWNTs in the composite. Previous studies have produced VA-MWNT–polymer hybrid materials by coating polymers on MWNT forests synthesized in the vertical direction. However, this method cannot be extended to the large-scale production of hybrid polymers because of the limited area of substrates for the synthesis of the MWNT forests, and because the synthesis requires a complex and expensive process. We arranged MWNTs in the vertical direction in VA-MWNT-polymer mixtures in a short process via electrophoresis. Subsequently, UV irradiation for a few minutes completely cured the photocurable polymer while the MWNTs were fixed in the vertical direction. The VA-MWNT-polymer showed a 17% higher compressive force than the polymer itself and interestingly, a 49% higher compressive force than the polymer with randomly dispersed MWNTs, indicating that the orientation of MWNTs in polymer composites affects their curing behavior as well as mechanical strength. These polymer-MWNT composites can be used as-is or coated on other materials and can be expected to exhibit enhanced mechanical properties in various applications.