Crystalline polymers, interactions between carbon nanotubes

Composites that associate various polymers, both crystalline and amorphous, and carbon nanotubes (CNT) are investigated in many laboratories. Improved mechanical and original electric properties have been reported. The interactions between crystalline polymers and CNT are difficult to decipher, given the small size of the latter. Work by Li and coworkers [77], based on electron microscopic observations, indicates that some form of soft epitaxy is involved. For CNT with a small... 

Poly(vinyl) alcohol (PVA) is a semi-crystalline polymer, which is already widely used for various applications, either under the form of films or fibers. Compared to other polymers, as it is water-soluble at high temperature, it is easy to process from aqueous solutions. Carbon nanotubes can also be dispersed or solubilized in water via different functionalization approaches. It was quite natural for researchers to try to mix carbon nanotubes and PVA to improve the properties of the neat polymer. In this chapter, we will first examine the different methods that have been used to process CNT/PVA composites. The structures and the particular interaction between the polymer and the nanotube surface have been characterized in several works. Then we will consider the composite mechanical properties, which have been extensively investigated in the literature. Despite the number of publications in the field, we will see that a lot of work is still to be done for achieving the most of the exceptional reinforcement potential of carbon nanotubes. 

---