Structure, thermophysical properties and electrical conductivity of nanocomposites based on epoxy polymer and carbon tubes

Abstract

The aim of this work was to find the optimal conditions for the formation of nanocomposites, study their structure and properties and conditions for the formation of multicomponent materials based on epoxy polymers and carbon nanotubes with predetermined performance properties. The basis for the formation of epoxy polymers was an epoxydian oligomer (EDO) based on bisphenol A. Polypox H354 was used as a hardener for EDO. Carbon nanotubes (CNT) were used as a nanofiller for the preparation of nanocomposites. The research methods were a diffractometer for measuring the intensity of X-ray scattering in the region of small angles and a differential scanning calorimeter for obtaining heating thermograms. The electrical conductivity of the samples at a temperature of 293 K was measured at direct current according to the two-electrode scheme. In this work the structure, thermophysical properties and electrical conductivity of nanocomposites based epoxy polymers and carbon nanotubes have been studied. It was found that at low CNT content the formation of nanocomposites occurs by the mechanism of epoxy network growth, which is accompanied by the displacement of CNT particles to the periphery of the epoxy matrix. This process is accompanied by an increase in the scattering intensity of the SAXS, a rapid increase in the glass transition temperature and the degree of crosslinking of the epoxy polymer. When the critical concentration is reached, CNT particles form a continuous cluster, which leads to occurrence percolation threshold, reducing the glass transition temperature, expanding the glass transition range, occurrence of pores and reducing the degree of completion of the crosslinking reaction in nanocomposites relative to the epoxy polymer. It is established that the improvement of nanocomposite properties and the occurrence of the percolation threshold is due to the maximum specific energy of ER-CNT interaction and is achieved at a critical mass concentration of nanofiller from 0,1% to 0,4%.