Mechanical, Electrical, and Thermal Properties of Carbon Nanotube Buckypapers/Epoxy Nanocomposites Produced by Oxidized and Epoxidized Nanotubes

Nonisothermal Kinetic Degradation of Hybrid CNT/Alumina Epoxy Nanocomposites

Due to the synergistic effect that occurs between CNTs and alumina, CNT/alumina hybrid-filled epoxy nanocomposites show significant enhancements in tensile properties, flexural properties, and thermal conductivity. This study is an extension of previously reported investigations into CNT/alumina epoxy nanocomposites. A series of epoxy composites with different CNT/alumina loadings were investigated with regard to their thermal-degradation kinetics and lifetime prediction. The thermal-degradation parameters were acquired via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in a nitrogen atmosphere. The degradation activation energy was determined using the Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (F-W-O) method for the chosen apparent activation energy. The Ea showed significant differences at α > 0.6, which indicate the role played by the CNT/alumina hybrid filler loading in the degradation behavior. From the calculations, the lifetime prediction at 5% mass loss decreased with an increase in the temperature service of nitrogen. The increase in the CNT/alumina hybrid loading revealed its contribution towards thermal degradation and stability. On average, a higher Ea was attributed to greater loadings of the CNT/alumina hybrid in the composites.

Fabrication, Functionalization, and Application of Carbon Nanotube-Reinforced Polymer Composite: An Overview

A novel class of carbon nanotube (CNT)-based nanomaterials has been surging since 1991 due to their noticeable mechanical and electrical properties, as well as their good electron transport properties. This is evidence that the development of CNT-reinforced polymer composites could contribute in expanding many areas of use, from energy-related devices to structural components. As a promising material with a wide range of applications, their poor solubility in aqueous and organic solvents has hindered the utilizations of CNTs. The current state of research in CNTs-both single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) and multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-reinforced polymer composites-was reviewed in the context of the presently employed covalent and non-covalent functionalization. As such, this overview intends to provide a critical assessment of a surging class of composite materials and unveil the successful development associated with CNT-incorporated polymer composites. The mechanisms related to the mechanical, thermal, and electrical performance of CNT-reinforced polymer composites is also discussed. It is vital to understand how the addition of CNTs in a polymer composite alters the microstructure at the micro- and nano-scale, as well as how these modifications influence overall structural behavior, not only in its as fabricated form but also its functionalization techniques. The technological superiority gained with CNT addition to polymer composites may be advantageous, but scientific values are here to be critically explored for reliable, sustainable, and structural reliability in different industrial needs.

Recent Advances in Methods for the Recovery of Carbon Nanominerals and Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons from Coal Fly Ash and Their Emerging Applications

Coal fly ash is found to be one of the key pollutants worldwide due to its toxic heavy metal content. However, due to advancements in technology, coal fly ash has gained importance in various emerging fields. They are rich sources of carbonaceous particles which remain unburnt during burning of various coals in thermal power plants (TPPs). Various carbonaceous nanoparticles in the form of fullerenes, soot, and carbon nanotubes could be recovered from coal fly ash by applying trending techniques. Moreover, coal fly ash is comprised of rich sources of organic carbons such as polycyclic and polyaromatic hydrocarbons that are used in various industries for the development of carbon-derived value-added materials and nanocomposites. Here, we focus on all the types of carbon nanominerals from coal fly ash with the latest techniques applied. Moreover, we also emphasize the recovery of organic carbons in polyaromatic (PAHs) and polycyclic hydrocarbons (PCHs) from coal fly ash (CFA). Finally, we try to elucidate the latest applications of such carbon particle in the industry.

Multi-Functional Properties of MWCNT/PVA Buckypapers Fabricated by Vacuum Filtration Combined with Hot Press: Thermal, Electrical and Electromagnetic Shielding

The applications of pure multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) buckypapers are still limited due to their unavoidable micro/nano-sized pores structures. In this work, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was added to a uniform MWCNTs suspension to form MWCNT/PVA buckypapers by vacuum infiltration combined with a hot press method. The results showed an improvement in the thermal, electrical, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding properties due to the formation of dense MWCNTs networks. The thermal and electrical properties rose from 1.394 W/m·k to 2.473 W/m·k and 463.5 S/m to 714.3 S/m, respectively. The EMI performance reached 27.08 dB. On the other hand, ABAQUS finite element software was used to simulate the coupled temperature-displacement performance. The electronic component module with buckypapers revealed a homogeneous temperature and thermal stress distribution. In sum, the proposed method looks promising for the easy preparation of multi-functional nanocomposites at low-cost.