Web Release Date: July 31,
Improved Load Transfer in Nanotube/Polymer Composites with Increased Polymer
Molecular Weight
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6272
Received: February 25, 2007
In Final Form: June 18, 2007
Abstract:
Mechanical interactions between amorphous polymers and nanofillers were probed by measuring the tensile moduli of nanocomposite fibers with aligned single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) and carbon nanofibers (CNF). Polymer chains provide better load transfer and thereby higher tensile moduli when the polymer size is large relative to the diameter of the filler. The specific interfacial area of the filler is not sufficient to explain this observed increase in elastic modulus. The effective modulus of SWNT bundles was ~250 GPa, as calculated using a short fiber model.
Download the full text: PDF | HTML
