MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL PERFORMANCE OF ULTRASONICATED AND FUNCTIONALIZED CARBON NANOTUBE-BASED GLASS/EPOXY COMPOSITES

摘要

An alternative approach to the development of advanced structural composites based onrnengineered multi-scale carbon nanotube (CNT)-glass fiber reinforcement has been examined.rnElectrophoresis was used to deposit multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) ontornunidirectional E-glass fabric prior to the infusion with epoxy resin for the production of Eglass/rnepoxy composites. CNTs were functionalized using ozone treatment for oxidation,rnfollowed by chemical reaction with polyethyleneimine (PEI). A previously reported recirculatingrnsystem was used which enabled ozonolysis to be conducted on large-volume solutions of CNTsrnin the presence of high-powered sonication. The sonicated-ozonolysis enables the preparation ofrnstable CNT dispersions that are suitable for electrophoretic deposition (EPD). Increases in the inplanernshear strength of the E-glass/epoxy composites with the CNT treatment have beenrnmeasured relative to composites without the CNT treatment. Fracture analysis suggests that thernimproved strength is related to improved adhesion at the glass-epoxy interface, relative to thernuntreated laminate. The E-glass/epoxy composites prepared with the carbon nanotubes-EPDrntreatment also demonstrate a significantly increased in-plane electrical conductively, althoughrnsome anisotropy in conductivity was observed.