Plasma Functionalization of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Bucky Papers and the Effect on Properties of Melt-Mixed Composites with Polycarbonate

摘要

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes in the form of bucky papers were modified using Ar/02 plasmaand thereafter melt-mixed into polycarbonate. The effect of plasma modification on thenanotubes was followed by XPS, indicating the formation of carboxylic or ester groups at thenanotube surfaces. In the melt-mixed nanocom- posites, the modified nanotubes exhibited a bettermacrodispersion and better phase adhesion to thematrix as evidenced by morphological investi-gations. The electrical percolation threshold wasnot altered and occurred below 0.5 wt.-% nano-tubes. The mechanical properties were improvedby having higher values of stress at yield, stressbeyond the yield point, and strain at break illus-trating the effect of both better dispersion andenhanced phase adhesion.