Effect of Carbon Nanofiber Functionalization on the In-Plane Mechanical Properties of Carbon/Epoxy Multiscale Composites

Sohel Rana, Ramasamy Alagirusamy, Raul Fangueiro, Mangala Joshi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In this work, vapor-grown carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were functionalized using an optimized route and dispersed in the matrix of carbon fabric-reinforced epoxy composites to develop multiscale carbon/epoxy composites. Functionalization was carried out through an oxidative treatment with a mixture of HNO 3/H 2SO 4 (1: 3) using a combination of ultrasonication and magnetic stirring. Functionalized CNFs (F-CNFs) were characterized for their morphology, length, functional groups, and degradation due to oxidative treatment. The results showed that it was possible to efficiently functionalize CNFs without any degradation through proper selection of treatment duration. F-CNFs were dispersed homogeneously into the epoxy matrix using ultrasonication in combination with high-speed mechanical stirring. The incorporation of 0.1 wt % F-CNFs led to a 65% increase in Young's modulus and a 36% in tensile strength of neat carbon/epoxy composites. The fracture surfaces were studied using scanning electron microscopy to understand the property enhancement due to F-CNFs.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1951-1958
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Applied Polymer Science
Volume125
Issue number3
Early online date18 Jan 2012
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 5 Aug 2012
Externally publishedYes

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