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Effects of carbon nanotube fillers dispersion on mechanical behavior of phenolic/carbon nanotube nanocomposite

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Abstract

Systematic studies have been carried out for investigating the mechanical properties of carbon nanotube (CNT)-reinforced phenolic resin. In this work, phenolic resin/CNT nanocomposite were processed using two different techniques: (i) three-roll calender device (TRC) and (ii) aqueous solution processes. In both techniques, up to 2 wt% CNT was used. In this study, it was observed that the values of tensile strength, Young’s modulus, shear stress, impact resistance and also that of the tribological properties increased directly proportional to carbon nanotube volume content. Halpin-Tsai, Voigt-Reuss and Cox equations were adopted to fit the experimental data of the tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the multiwalled carbon nanotube/phenolic resin composite. Morphological analysis was done utilizing scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and good dispersion of nanotubes within the phenolic resin matrix was revealed. Also according to the results presented in this work, SEM showed that TRC processing gave better dispersion than aqueous solution mixing. The observation that the values for mechanical properties increased more for TRC than aqueous mixed samples is consistent with this.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge financial support received from FAPESP (under Grant No. 2009/06335-9) and CNPq under Grant No. 306053/2006-3.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Materials and Technology Department–São Paulo State University (UNESP), 12516-410, Guaratinguetá, São Paulo, Brazil

    Edson Cocchieri Botelho & Elilton Rodrigues Edwards

  2. Mechanical Department - Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung, D-01069, Dresden e.V., Germany

    Edson Cocchieri Botelho

  3. Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe GmbH, University of Kaiserslautern, D-67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany

    Michelle Leali Costa

  4. Materials Division–Departament of Science and Aerospace Technology–DCTA- São José dos Campos, São Paulo-, Brazil

    Michelle Leali Costa

  5. Materials Science Department, Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe GmbH, University of Kaiserslautern, D-67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany

    Thomas Burkhart

  6. Mechanical Department - Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung, D-01069, Dresden e.V., Germany

    Bernd Lauke

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  1. Edson Cocchieri Botelho
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  2. Michelle Leali Costa
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  3. Elilton Rodrigues Edwards
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Correspondence to Edson Cocchieri Botelho.

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Botelho, E.C., Costa, M.L., Edwards, E.R. et al. Effects of carbon nanotube fillers dispersion on mechanical behavior of phenolic/carbon nanotube nanocomposite. Journal of Materials Research 27, 2342–2351 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2012.221

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2012.221

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