Polymer nanocomposites carbon nanotubes

Almost all types of vegetable oil-based polymer nanocomposites, that is clay/polymer nanocomposites, carbon nanotubes/polymer nanocomposites, metal nanoparticles/polymer nanocomposites (metals such as Ag, Cu, Fe and their oxides) are found in the literature. These have several advantages over their respective pure polymers, or conventional polymer composite systems, and thus have the potential to meet the current demand for advanced polymeric materials. 

M. Baibarac and P. Gomez-Romero, Nanocomposites based on conducting polymers and carbon nanotubes from fancy materials to functional applications J. Nanosci. Nanotech., 6, 289-302 (2006). 

Masuda, J. and Torkelson, J. M. 2008. Dispersion and major property enhancements in polymer/ multiwall carbon nanotube nanocomposites via solid-state shear pulverization. Macromolecules 41 5974-5977. 

Choudhary V, Gupta A (2011) Polymer/carbon nanotube nanocomposites. In Yellampalli S (ed) Polymer/carbon nanotube nanocomposites, carbon nanotubes - polymer nanocomposites. InTech, Rijeka, pp 65-90... 

One specific nanocomposite type receiving considerable attention involves conjugated polymers and carbon nanotubes. There is a litany and growing application of these involving electronically conducting polymers, photovoltaic cells, light-emitting diodes, and field effect transitions. 

Nanocomposites with more than 1 or 1.5 wt% MWNTs could not be prepared by the proposed technique due to reduced polymerization rate. If the reaction were carried out for a longer time then polymerization failed either due to the reaction of the monomer mixture with moisture in the air or degradation of the chemicals due to heating for the longer duration. SEM analysis of the cross-section of the stretched and broken nanocointosite fibers showed that carbon nanotubes were well separated in the polymer matrix. Carbon nanotubes also appeared to be nearly oriented along the direction of the fiber axis due to the effect of the extrusion and stretching. 

This is another important and widely used polymer. Nanocomposites have been prepared based on this rubber mostly for flame-retardancy behavior. Blends with acrylic functional polymer and maleic anhydride-grafted ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) have also been used both with nanoclays and carbon nanotubes to prepare nanocomposites [65-69]. 

FIGURE 28.20 Curves of tan S vs temperature for rubber and carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/rubber nanocomposite. (From Lopez-Manebado, M.A. et al., J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 92, 3394, 2004.)... 

Concerns regarding the toxicity and environmental effects of polymer-based nanocomposites, such as those derived from clay nanoparticles or carbon nanotubes, throughout their life cycle, from formulation, polymerisation, compounding, fabrication, use, disposal and degradation, are described. The potential of nanoparticles to enter the body by skin contact or inhalation is discussed. Accession no.927669... 

CNTs can enhance the thermal properties of CNT-polymer nanocomposites. The reinforcing function is closely associated with the amount and alignment of CNTs in the composites. Well-dispersed and long-term stable carbon nanotubes/ polymer composites own higher modulus and better thermal property as well as better electronic conductivity (Valter et al., 2002 Biercuk et al., 2002). Both SWNT and MWNT can improve the thermal stability and thermal conductivity of polymer, the polymer-CNT composites can be used for fabricating resistant-heat materials. 

J.Y. Kwon, H.D. Kim, Preparation and properties of acid-treated multiwalled carbon nanotubes/waterborne polyurethane nanocomposites, Journal of Applied Polymer Science, vol. 96, pp. 595-604, 2005. 

Z. Hana, A. Fina, Thermal conductivity of carbon nanotubes and their polymer nanocomposites A review, Progress in Polymer Science, vol. 36, p. 914-944, 2011. 

B. Sitharaman, X.F. Shi, X.F. Walboomers, H.B. Liao, V. Cuijpers, L.J. Wilson, A.G. Mikos, J.A. Jansen, In vivo biocompatibility of ultra-short single-walled carbon nanotube/biodegradable polymer nanocomposites for, bone tissue engineering, Bone, vol. 43, pp. 362-3Z0, 2008. 

Logakis E, Pissis P, Pospiech D, Korwitz A, Krause B, Reuter U, et al. Low electrical percolation threshold in polyethylene terephthalate)/multi-walled carbon nanotube nanocomposites. European Polymer Journal. 2010 May 46(5) 928-36. 

Moniruzzaman, M. and Winey, K. I., Polymer nanocomposites containing carbon nanotubes,... 

As another example, Kashiwagi et al.7 have investigated the flammability of polymer/single wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) nanocomposites. It has been observed that in the case where the nanotubes were relatively well-dispersed, a nanotube containing network structured layer was formed without any major cracks or openings during the burning tests and covered the entire... 

Kashiwagi, T., Du, F., Winey, K.I., Groth, K.M., Shields, J.R., Bellayer, S., Kim, S., and Douglas, J.F. 2005. Flammability properties of polymer nanocomposites with single-walled carbon nanotubes Effects of nanotube dispersion and concentration. Polymer 46(2) 471 181. 

Provided in this chapter is an overview on the fundamentals of polymer nanocomposites, including structure, properties, and surface treatment of the nanoadditives, design of the modifiers, modification of the nanoadditives and structure of modified nanoadditives, synthesis and struc-ture/morphology of the polymer nanocomposites, and the effect of nanoadditives on thermal and fire performance of the matrix polymers and mechanism. Trends for the study of polymer nanocomposites are also provided. This covers all kinds of inorganic nanoadditives, but the primary focus is on clays (particularly on the silicate clays and the layered double hydroxides) and carbon nanotubes. The reader who needs to have more detailed information and/or a better picture about nanoadditives and their influence on the matrix polymers, particularly on the thermal and fire performance, may peruse some key reviews, books, and papers in this area, which are listed at the end of the chapter. 

Grossiord, N., Loos, J., Regev, O., and Koning, C. E. Toolbox for dispersing carbon nanotubes into polymers to get conductive nanocomposites, Chem. Mater. (2006), 18, 1089-1099. 

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