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Polyacrylonitrile/carbon nanotube composite films
Huina Guo1, Marilyn L Minus, Sudhakar Jagannathan
1The School of Polymer, Textile and Fiber Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|May 6, 2010
Summary
This study enhanced polyacrylonitrile (PAN) films with carbon nanotubes (CNT), finding single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) offer the strongest interactions and improved solvent resistance for advanced material applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) is a versatile polymer with applications in fibers and films.
- Improving PAN's mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties is crucial for enhanced performance.
- Carbon nanotubes (CNT) offer unique properties for polymer composite reinforcement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the reinforcement efficiency of different carbon nanotube (CNT) types in polyacrylonitrile (PAN) films.
- To investigate the impact of CNTs on the mechanical, thermomechanical, electrical, and structural properties of PAN.
- To understand the interaction mechanisms between PAN and various CNT morphologies.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of PAN/CNT composite films at varying CNT loadings (5, 10, 20 wt %).
- Characterization using mechanical testing, dynamic-mechanical analysis, thermomechanical analysis, X-ray diffraction, and electrical conductivity measurements.
- Analysis of CNT-PAN interactions via activation energy and nitrogen gas adsorption.
Main Results:
- PAN/CNT composites achieved electrical conductivities up to 5500 S/m.
- PAN crystallinity increased with CNT addition, particularly with single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT).
- SWNTs demonstrated the strongest physical interaction with PAN, enhancing mechanical properties and solvent resistance.
Conclusions:
- Carbon nanotubes significantly enhance the properties of polyacrylonitrile films.
- Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) provide superior reinforcement and interaction with PAN.
- The addition of CNTs improves electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, and solvent resistance of PAN composites.
