Processing, Structure and Properties of Carbon Nanotube-Based Polymer Composites

摘要

Carbon nanotubes have been shown to exhibit exceptional mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. Researchers have reported elastic properties for nanotubes that exceed 1 TPa (1000 MPa) and strengths that are many times higher than the strongest steel at a fraction of the weight. These properties observed at the nanoscale, combined with the fiber-like nature of the nanotube, give motivation to the development of nanotube-based composite materials. Toward a fundamental understanding of the nanoscale reinforcement mechanisms, this research focuses on development of techniques to process model nanotube-based composites with controlled structure (dispersion, alignment, aspect ratio) and characterization of structure and mechanical properties. Polystyrene/multi-walled nanotube composites were processed with varying nanotube content and controlled alignment using a micro-scale extrusion technique, and the tensile properties of the nanocomposites were characterized using a dynamic mechanical analyzer.