0000000000480555
AUTHOR
Swetha Chandrasekaran
Hydrothermally resistant thermally reduced graphene oxide and multi-wall carbon nanotube based epoxy nanocomposites
This study is focused on the investigation of thermo-mechanical properties of an epoxy resin filled with thermally reduced graphene oxide (TRGO) and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) after exposure of samples to hot distilled water. Addition of low contents of TRGO and MWCNTs greatly reduces the water sorption capacity of the epoxy polymer and improves its resistance to hydrothermal ageing. The glassy and rubbery moduli of the neat epoxy decreased for about 20% and 80%, respectively, while TRGO-based epoxy filled with 0.3 wt.% of TRGO showed only 6% reduction of both moduli. Hydrothermal ageing resulted in an enormous drop in the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the neat epoxy, by abo…
Anomalous water diffusion in epoxy/carbon nanoparticle composites
Abstract Water absorption-desorption-resorption and swelling were studied for a DGEBA-based amine-cured epoxy resin filled with four types of carbon nanoparticles: multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), graphite nano-platelets (GnP), expanded graphite platelets, and carbon black. Nanocomposites are characterised by lower diffusivity (down to 20% for epoxy/GnP) and increased water sorption capacity compared to the neat epoxy. Anomalous water absorption and swelling of nanocomposites is finely described by the diffusion-relaxation model. The relaxation times, considered as quantitative indicators of changes in segmental mobility of the polymer, increased with addition of nanoparticles and decrea…