EFFECTS OF PLASMA SURFACE MODIFICATION ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF CARBON NANOTUBEPOLYCARBONATE COMPOSITES

摘要

The surfaces of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were coated with an ultrathin film of polymer. The coated CNTs were found to disperse well in polycarbonate matrix. The tensile strength and Young’s modulus of carbon nanotube-polycarbonate composites were measured for different processing conditions including plasma polymerization power, nanotube concentration, and ultrasonication time. A maximum strength (21% increase) was achieved at a lower concentration (1 wt. %) of nanotubes in polycarbonate composite. The optimization of ultrasonication time indicated that the maximum strength occurred at different times for the composite and pure polycarbonate.