MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF SURFACTANT-COATING CARBON NANOFIBER/EPOXY COMPOSITE
Abstract
Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were coated by surfactants of polyoxyetheylene alkyl ether (AEO9, AEO7) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA 1799), respectively, after being mixed with surfactant aqueous solution and then treated with ultrasonication, high shear and magnetic stirring. The CNF/epoxy composites were prepared by mixing the surfactant coated CNFs with epoxy. Tensile strength, elastic modulus and ultimate strain of the composites were studied. The tensile strength and the ultimate strain of the composites were increased by 20% and 70%, respectively, after the CNFs were coated by surfactants. However, the elastic modulus of the composite will be lowered when the CNFs were treated by too high a concentration of surfactant solution.