Other Fabrication Methods

Layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly technique has been proven as a well-established approach to build composites or function-specific multilayer assemblies. Mamedov et al. fabricated isotropic polymer/SWNT composites by LBL deposition method to preserve SWNT dispersion [98]. Zhang et al. prepared PVA/poly(vinyl pyrolidone)/SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate)/SWNT composite films by LBL technique with good nanotube dispersion and load transfer from polymer matrix to the carbon nanotubes [99]. With the aid of a surfactant, super-tough PVA/SWNT fibers were also fabricated by LBL method with SWNT loading as high as 60 wt% [100]. 

Mechanical properties of polymer/carbon nanotube composites 

Carbon nanotubes possess a combination of good thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties that maJse them an excellent candidate for the fabrication of multifunctional polymer nanocomposites. The CNTs are stronger than steel and lighter than aluminum, thus the mechanical reinforcement of nanotubes for the polymer/CNT based composites is one of the most investigated fields. 

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The above-mentioned extraction methods were developed to liberate natural nanofibrils in their original forms from the specific matrices in which they grow. Most of the other fabrication methods involve the assembling of polymers, either extracted from natural resources or synthesised from monomers, into nanofibres. These regenerated or synthetic nanofibres are explained in the next few sections. 

Other Fabrication Methods. Another thermoplastics processing technique that is suited to some TPEs, but not to thermoset rubbers, is thermoforming. A sheet of TPE is heated to 10 to 40°C above the melting temperature of the hard crystalline phase (or glass... 

The molecular structure of polyethylene used in film applications can vary over a very wide range as compared to the molecular structure of polyethylene used in other fabrication methods. For film applications the density and Melt Index (MI) of the polyethylene may vary from about 0.900-0.960 g/cc with MI values of about 0.05-2.0. In addition,... 

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