Multifunctional polymer composites reinforced by carbon nanotubes–Alumina hybrids with urchin-like structure. (June 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: He, Delong; Fan, Benhui; Zhao, Hang; Yang, Minhao; Wang, Hui; Bai, Jintao; Li, Wenyao; Zhou, Xiying; Bai, Jinbo
• Is Part Of: Materials today communications. Volume 11(2017)
• Page Start: 94
• Page End: 102
• Publication Date: 2017-06
• Subjects: Carbon nanotube -- Hybrid structure -- Epoxy composite; Materials science -- Periodicals; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mtcomm.2017.03.001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2352-4928

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Abstract: Polymer composites with enhanced mechanical and functional properties are highly desired to develop light-weight function-integrated structures and devices. In this study, one kind of urchin-like hybrids was synthesized by in-situ growing CNTs on alumina microspheres (μAl2 O3 ), and their reinforcing effects to epoxy were investigated in detail. It was found that as compared to pure epoxy the CNTs-μAl2 O3 hybrids/epoxy composites possess highly improved electrical, dielectric, thermal and mechanical properties, achieving an enhancement as high as 5 orders of magnitude in the AC conductivity, 92% and 56% in the thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity, respectively, and 26% in the Young's modulus, when CNT mass fraction used was 2%. Detailed analyses and various microstructural characterizations were also conducted in order to understand the multiscale reinforcement effects. The significant enhancements observed are mainly due to the urchin-like structure and improved CNT dispersion in the epoxy matrix.