• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.14-19
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• 2014

Nanocomposites based on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/(PVDF) blended with carbon fibers (CF) and carbon nanotube (CNT) were prepared by melt mixing in the twin screw extruder. Morphologies of the PMMA/PVDF/CF/CNT and PET/PVDF/CF/CNT nanocomposites were investigated using SEM. The aggregation of CNT was observed in PMMA/PVDF/CF/CNT nanocomposites while the good dispersion of CNT was shown in PET/PVDF/CF/CNT nanocomposites. In SEM image of PET/PVDF/CF/CNT nanocomposite, the CNT were mainly located at the PET domain of phase-separated PET/PVDF blend due to the ${\pi}-{\pi}$ interaction between the phenyl ring of PET and graphite sheet of the CNT's surface. In addition, a fairly good compatibility between PET/PVDF matrix and CF was shown in the SEM image. In the case of PET/PVDF nanocomposites blended with the co-addition of CF and CNT, the volume electrical resistivity decreased while no change was observed in PMMA/PVDF/CF/CNT composites. The degree of CNT dispersion in morphology results was consistent with the electrical conductivity results. From the DSC results, the crystallization temperature (Tc) of PET/PVDF/CF/CNT nanocomposites increased due to the co-addition of CF and CNTs acting as a nucleating agent. Flexural modulus of PET/PVDF/CF/CNT were sharply enhanced due to increasing the interaction between PET and CF.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.413-416
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• 2014

The effects of an addition of CNT on the sensing properties of nano ZnO:CNT-based gas sensors were studied for $H_2S$ gas. The nano ZnO sensing materials were grown by a hydrothermal reaction method. The nano ZnO:CNT was prepared by ball-milling method. The weight range of the CNT addition on the ZnO surface was from 0 to 10%. The nano ZnO:CNT gas sensors were fabricated by a screen-printing method on alumina substrates. The structural and morphological properties of the ZnO:CNT sensing materials were investigated by XRD, EDS, and SEM. The XRD patterns revealed that nano ZnO:CNT powders with a wurtzite structure were grown with (1 0 0), (0 0 2), and (1 0 1) dominant peaks. The size of the ZnO was about 210 nm, as confirmed by SEM images. The sensitivity of the nano ZnO:CNT-based sensors was measured for 5 ppm of $H_2S$ gas at room temperature by comparing the resistance in air with that in target gases.

• Composites Research
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.309-314
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• 2013

Highly ablation resistant carbon nanotube (CNT)-phenolic composites were fabricated by the addition of low concentrations of CNT nanofiller. Tensile and compressive properties as well as ablative resistance were significantly improved by the addition of only 0.1 and 0.3 wt% of uniformly dispersed CNTs. An oxygen-kerosene-flame torch and a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) were used to evaluate the ablative properties and microstructures of these CNT-phenolic composites. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that the ablation rate was lower for the 0.3 wt% CNT-phenolic composites than for neat phenolic or the composite with 0.1 wt% CNT. Ablative mechanisms for all three materials were investigated using this TGA in conjunction with microstructural studies using a FE-SEM. The microstructural studies revealed that CNT acted as an ablation resistant phase at high temperatures, and that the uniformity of dispersion of the CNT played an important role in this resistance to ablation.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.49 no.12
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• pp.989-994
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• 2011

Samples with compositions of 80 wt% Mg-14 wt% Ni-6 wt% $Fe_2O_3$ (named $Mg-Ni-Fe_2O_3$), and 78 wt% Mg-14 wt% Ni-6 wt% $Fe_2O_3-2$ wt% CNT (named $Mg-Ni-Fe_2O_3-CNT$ ) were prepared by reactive mechanical grinding. Hydriding and dehydriding properties and effects of CNT addition on the hydriding and dehydriding rates of $Mg-Ni-Fe_2O_3$ were then investigated. Activation of the $Mg-14Ni-6Fe_2O_3$ sample was completed after three hydriding (under 12 bar $H_2$)-dehydriding (under 1.0 bar $H_2$) cycles at 573 K. The addition of CNT to the $Mg-14Ni-6Fe_2O_3$ sample made the activation process unnecessary, with a small decrease in the hydrogen-storage capacity.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.51-55
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• 2014

Ni-CNT(Carbon Nanotubes) composite coating is often used for the surface treatment of mechanical/electronic devices to improve the properties of the Ni coating. For the Ni-CNT coating, the dispersion of CNT fibers is a critical process. In this study, ultrasonic treatment instead of the conventional ball milling was attempted as a dispersion method for the electroless Ni-CNT coating. SEM-EDX analysis was performed and contact angle, sheet resistance, and micro-hardness were measured. Results showed that the ultrasonic treatment was comparable to the ball milling, as a dispersion method, but the difference was negligible. However, combined ball milling and ultrasonic treatment(double treatment) showed much improved micro-hardness value, above 350Hv(close to the value obtained by the Ni-CNT electroplating). In addition, electroless Ni-CNT(double-treated) coatings formed on the thin Ni film deposited by the electroless plating(double coating) showed better mechanical properties. Thus, double treatment and double coating are suggested as an improved electroless Ni-CNT coating method.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.526-532
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• 2013

The effect of CNT dispersion method on rheological and electrical properties of polystyrene/carbon nanotube (PS/CNT) nanocomposites via latex technology was compared. The nanocomposites were prepared through freeze-drying the dispersed suspension comprised of CNTs and PS particles. In this study, physical dispersion method, either sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) addition or polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) wrapping, was employed to prevent the deterioration of intrinsic properties of CNT caused by chemical modification. The physical method applied to latex technology was very effective in CNT dispersion. With SDS addition, the enhancement of rheological properties was low compared to PVP wrapping because the properties of matrix were deteriorated due to the incorporation of low molecular weight SDS. The electrical percolation threshold of PS/SDS-stabilized CNT and PS/PVP-wrapped CNT nanocomposites was 0.23 and 0.90 wt%, respectively. The enhancement of electrical conductivity was low in the case of PVP wrapping because the non-conducting PVPs wrapped around CNT restricted the electrical connection between CNTs.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.91-95
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• 2011

Ni-CNT(carbon nanotubes) composite coating is often used for the surface treatment of electronic/mechanical devices to improve the properties of the exisiting Ni electroplating. For this, the dispersion of CNT particle is a critical process. In this study, ball milling and additive called sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS) are employed for dispersion. Electroplated Ni-CNT films were examined by SEM-EDX, AES, microhardness tester, 4-point probe and contact angle measurement to find the optimum dispersion conditions. Ni-CNT coatings formed by ball milling for 9 hrs and with addition of SDS 12 times of CNT contents showed the highest hardness, reasonable resistivity and non-stick characteristics.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.50-54
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• 2014

A powder-in-sheath rolling method was applied to a fabrication of a carbon nano tube (CNT) reinforced aluminum composite. A STS304 tube with an outer diameter of 34 mm and a wall thickness of 2 mm was used as a sheath material. A mixture of pure aluminum powders and CNTs with the volume contents of 1, 3, 5 vol was filled in the tube by tap filling and then processed to 73.5% height reduction by a rolling mill. The relative density of the CNT/Al composite fabricated by the powder-in-sheath rolling decreased slightly with increasing of CNTs content, but exhibited high value more than 98. The grain size of the aluminum matrix was largely decreased with addition of CNTs; it decreased from $24{\mu}m$ to $0.9{\mu}m$ by the addition of only 1 volCNT. The average hardness of the composites increased by approximately 3 times with the addition of CNTs, comparing to that of unreinforced pure aluminum. It is concluded that the powder-in-sheath rolling method is an effective process for fabrication of CNT reinforced Al matrix composites.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.430-435
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• 2017

$Li_4Ti_5O_{12}$ (LTO) is an anode material for lithium ion battery, and the cycle performance is very good. The volume change of LTO during insertion and deinsertion of lithium ion is very small, so the cyclibility is very high. In this experiment graphene and CNT was added to increase the low conductivity of LTO which is the weak point of LTO. When graphene was located on the surface of LTO the conductivity did not increase so much because of the nano size LTO. Addition of CNT increased the conductivity because of the formation of the conducting network between LTO particle and the graphene. Carbon material addition was changed before and after the LTO manufacturing, and the capacity and the cyclibility was compared.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.458-465
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• 2016

A $TiO_2$/CNT nanohybrid photocatalyst is synthesized via sol-gel route, with titanium (IV) isopropoxide and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as the starting materials. The microstructures and phase constitution of the nanohybrid $TiO_2$/CNT (0.005wt%) samples after calcination at $450^{\circ}C$, $550^{\circ}C$ and $650^{\circ}C$ in air are compared with those of pure $TiO_2$ using field-emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. In addition, the photocatalytic activity of the nanohybrid is compared with that of pure $TiO_2$ with regard to the degradation of methyl orange under visible light irradiation. The $TiO_2$/CNT composite exhibits a fast grain growth and phase transformation during calcination. The nanocomposite shows enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation in comparison to pure $TiO_2$ owing to not only better adsorption capability of CNT but also effective electron transfer between $TiO_2$ and CNTs. However, the high calcination temperature of $650^{\circ}C$, regardless of addition of CNT, causes a decrease in photocatalytic activity because of grain growth and phase transformation to rutile. These results such as fast phase transformation to rutile and effective electron transfer are related to carbon doping into $TiO_2$.