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Carbon Nanotube Composites: Critical Issues

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Handbook of Carbon Nanotubes

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Abstract

Carbon nanotubes are promising new materials for blending with polymers with potential to obtain low-weight nanocomposites of extraordinary mechanical, electrical, thermal, and multifunctional properties. The size scale, aspect ratio, and properties of nanotubes provide advantages in a variety of applications, including electrostatically dissipative materials; advanced materials with combined stiffness, strength, and impact for aerospace goods; automotive parts that require electrostatic painting and automotive components with enhanced mechanical properties. Advances in synthesis and characterization of nanostructured materials have opened up a wide range of opportunities for engineering properties of polymer systems using nanoscale reinforcements. Development of a new class of polymer composites, referred to as nanocomposites, has resulted in extensive academic and industrial research in processing, characterization, and modeling of these materials. The understanding of nanocomposite structure/property relationships has evolved in recent years. This chapter reviews advances in carbon nanotube-based composites with an aim at tailoring properties for multifunctional applications. Key issues, challenges in processing, fabrication, and development technologies in nanocomposite systems are addressed. The various processing methods for producing these nanocomposites are discussed, in particular melt mixing, solution processing, and in situ polymerization. Recent studies conducted on carbon nanotube/polymer composites have been reviewed from the perspective of property enhancement as a function of CNT addition and some key results relating to the mechanical property are summarized. Finally, the challenges for the future are discussed in terms of processing, characterization, nanotube availability, nanotube tailoring, and the mechanisms governing the behavior of these remarkable nanoscale composites.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, India

    Nidhi Sharma

  2. Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, National Institute of Technology Rourkela, Rourkela, India

    Bankim Chandra Ray

Authors
  1. Nidhi Sharma
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  2. Bankim Chandra Ray
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Vimala College (Autonomous), Thrissur, Kerala, India

    Jiji Abraham

  2. International and Inter University Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, India

    Sabu Thomas

  3. School of Pure and Applied Physics, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India

    Nandakumar Kalarikkal

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Sharma, N., Ray, B.C. (2022). Carbon Nanotube Composites: Critical Issues. In: Abraham, J., Thomas, S., Kalarikkal, N. (eds) Handbook of Carbon Nanotubes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91346-5_3

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