Influence of Carbon Nanotubes on Epoxy Resin Cure Reaction Using Different Techniques: A Comprehensive Review

The results regarding the effect of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the cure process of epoxy resin are widespread and contradictory. Therefore, this article aims to review the key studies on the effect of carbon nanotubes related to the curing process of epoxy resin, separating them according to analysis technique. Many articles have shown that nanocomposite homogeneity and medium viscosity have great influence on the cure process. Some of them have shown that heterogeneity and high viscosity slow down the epoxy resin cure, reducing the cure reaction heat. Furthermore, the presence of chemical groups such as amine and hydroxyl can catalyze this reaction, especially in the case of homogeneous composites. This review describes briefly and straightforwardly the value of using several techniques for studying and monitoring the nanocomposite cure, among them: DSC, rheometry, DMA, Raman, FT-IR, and luminescence spectroscopy. That importance is remarkably noticeable for studying a particular temporal reaction step, where a particular technique is more suitable than another. In this sense, one could say that luminescence spectroscopy is appropriate for studying the ending step of the cure reaction. Moreover, a great amount of information is also provided for supporting further research. (C) 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers