Web Release Date: June 28,
Functionalized Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for Carbon Fiber-Epoxy Composites
and
Carbon Solutions Inc., Riverside, California 92507, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Center for Composite Materials, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, and Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Departments of Chemistry and Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, California 92521
Received: February 16, 2007
In Final Form: May 3, 2007
Abstract:
Functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are explored as nanoreinforcement for carbon fiber/epoxy composites. SWNTs functionalized with carboxylic acid groups (SWNT-COOH) are dispersed in epoxy and are used for infiltration of carbon fabric (CF) by the vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding technique to fabricate SWNT-COOH/epoxy/CF composites. Mechanical tests demonstrate that the incorporation of SWNT-COOH improves the mechanical performance of the composites and produces a 40% enhancement of the shear strength at a SWNT-COOH loading of 0.5 wt %.
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