Surface Treatment to Carbon Nanotube and Its Effect to Mechanical Properties of Polymer Matrix Composites Filled with Carbon Nanotube

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are expected to be a new functional materical. We studied fabrication of polystyrene (PS) and polypropylene (PP) matrix composites filled with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and vapor grown carbon fibers (VGCFs). Specimens were fabricated by injection molding. Young's modulus and tensile strength of the molded specimens were measured and the effects of filler content and it is two times larger than that of bulk PS and bulk PP. Tensile strength of CNT/PP composites increases with increasing CNT content and it is two times larger than that of bulk PS and bulk PP. Tensile strength of CNT/PP composites increases with increasing CNT content but that of CNT/pp composites slightly decreases. As the result of discussion about the surface treatment to CNTs, it was suggested that tensile strength of CNT/polymer composites improves by metallic coupling to CNTs.