Effects of Amino- Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes on the Properties of Amine- Terminated Butadiene- Acrylonitrile Rubber- Toughened Epoxy Resins

Amino-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-NH(2)s) as nanofillers were incorporated into diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) toughened with amine-terminated butadiene-acrylonitrile (ATBN). The curing kinetics, glass-transition temperature (T-g), thermal stability, mechanical properties, and morphology of DGEBA/ATBN/MWCNT-NH2 nanocomposites were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis, a universal test machine, and scanning electron microscopy. DSC dynamic kinetic studies showed that the addition of MWCNT-NH(2)s accelerated the curing reaction of the ATBN-toughened epoxy resin. DSC results revealed that the T-g of the rubber-toughened epoxy nanocomposites decreased nearly 10 degrees C with 2 wt % MWCNT-NH(2)s. The thermogravimetric results show that the addition of MWCNT-NH(2)s enhanced the thermal stability of the ATBN-toughened epoxy resin. The tensile strength, flexural strength, and flexural modulus of the DGEBA/ATBN/MWCNT-NH2 nanocomposites increased increasing MWCNT-NH2 contents, whereas the addition of the MWCNT-NH(2)s slightly decreased the elongation at break of the rubber-toughened epoxy. (c) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40472.