Epoxy nanocomposites containing magnetite-carbon nanofibers aligned using a weak magnetic field

作者：Wu Shuying; Ladani Raj B; Zhang Jin; Kinloch Anthony J; Zhao Zhiheng; Ma Jun; Zhang Xuehua; Mouritz Adrian P; Ghorbani Kamran; Wang Chun H^*

来源：Polymer, 2015, 68: 25-34.

DOI：10.1016/j.polymer.2015.04.080

• Carbon nanofibers
• Magnetic field alignment
• Epoxy nanocomposites

Novel magnetite-carbon nanofiber hybrids (denoted by "Fe3O4@CNFs") have been developed by coating carbon nanofibers (CNFs) with magnetite nanoparticles in order to align CNFs in epoxy using a relatively weak magnetic field. Experimental results have shown that a weak magnetic field (similar to 50 mT) can align these newly-developed nanofiber hybrids to form a chain-like structure in the epoxy resin. Upon curing, the epoxy nanocomposites containing the aligned Fe3O4@CNFs show (i) greatly improved electrical conductivity in the alignment direction and (ii) significantly higher fracture toughness when the Fe3O4@CNFs are aligned normal to the crack surface, compared to the nanocomposites containing randomly-oriented Fe3O4@CNFs. The mechanisms underpinning the significant improvements in the fracture toughness have been identified, including interfacial debonding, pull-out, crack bridging and rupture of the Fe3O4@CNFs, and plastic void growth in the polymer matrix.

• 出版日期2015-6-26
• 单位迪肯大学