EFFECT OF TWO TYPES OF INTERACTIONS IN POLYMER/CARBON NANOTUBE NANOCOMPOSITES ON THEIR PROPERTIES

Based on the study of the interactions between carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in high-modulus polymer matrix–nanotube and nanotube–nantotube nanocomposites, a new characteristic of the quality of these nanomaterials was obtained: the effective proportion of interfacial regions. An increase in this indicator determines the decrease in the degree of nanofiller aggregation, and as a consequence an increase in the elasticity modulus of the nanocomposites that approaches corresponding values for steel. The quality of high-modulus nanocomposites is controlled by the content of the nanotubes and their level of interfacial adhesion. Such nanocomposites can be obtained under two necessary conditions: the content of the CNTs above their percolation threshold and the attractive interactions between nanotubes in their bundle. © 2022 by Begell House, Inc.