Title
Improved dispersion of carbon nanotubes in polymers at high concentrations
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-1-2012
Abstract
The polymer nanocomposite used in this work comprises elastomer poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) as a polymer matrix and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a conductive nanofiller. To achieve uniform distribution of carbon nanotubes within the polymer, an optimized dispersion process was developed, featuring a strong organic solvent—chloroform, which dissolved PDMS base polymer easily and allowed high quality dispersion of MWCNTs. At concentrations as high as 9 wt.%, MWCNTs were dispersed uniformly through the polymer matrix, which presented a major improvement over prior techniques. The dispersion procedure was optimized via extended experimentation, which is discussed in detail.
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
Nanomaterials
First Page
329
Last Page
347
Recommended Citation
Liu, C., & Choi, J. (2012). Improved dispersion of carbon nanotubes in polymers at high concentrations. Nanomaterials, 2 (4), 329-347. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano2040329