Toughening of epoxy matrices with reduced single-walled carbon nanotubes

摘要

Reduced single-walled carbon nanotubes (r-SWCNT) are shown to react readily at room temperature under inert atmosphere conditions with epoxide moieties, such as those in triglycidyl p-amino phenol (TGAP), to produce a soft covalently bonded interface around the SWCNT. The soft interface is compatible with the SWCNT-free cross-linked cured matrix and acts as a toughener for the composite. Incorporation of 0.2 wt % r-SWCNT enhances the ultimate tensile strength, toughness and fracture toughness by 32, 118, and 40%, respectively, without change in modulus. A toughening rate (dKIC/dwtf) of 200 MPa m0.5 is obtained. The toughening mechanism is elucidated through dynamic mechanical analyses, Raman spectroscopy and imaging, and stress\u2013strain curve analyses. The method is scalable and applicable to epoxy resins and systems used commercially.