Interfacially-grafted Single Wall Carbon Nanotube / Poly (vinyl alcohol) Composite Fibers

Wonjun Lee, Adam Clancy, Juan Fernández-Toribio, David Anthony, Edward White, Eduardo Solano, Hannah Leese, Juan Vilatela, Milo Shaffer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

33 Citations (SciVal)
97 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Nanocomposites are critically influenced by interfacial interactions between the reinforcement and matrix. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) of varying molecular weights were prepared and grafted-to single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), to improve the interfacial interaction with a homopolymer PVOH matrix. Nanocomposite fibers were coagulation spun across a broad range of loading fractions, controlled by the spinning dope composition. An intermediate grafted-PVOH molecular weight (10 kDa) maximized grafting ratio, and the final composite mechanical performance; the positive effects were attributed to the increased degree of dispersion of the SWCNTs in the dope, as well as the favorable interface. The PVOH grafting increased the stability of the SWCNT loading fractions (up to 45 wt.%), offering increased strength (up to 1100 MPa) and stiffness (up to 38.5 GPa); at the same time, strain-to-failures remained high (up to 23.3%), resulting in high toughness (up to 125 J g−1).
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)162-171
Number of pages10
JournalCarbon
Volume146
Issue number0008-6223
Early online date23 Jan 2019
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 May 2019

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry
  • General Materials Science

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Interfacially-grafted Single Wall Carbon Nanotube / Poly (vinyl alcohol) Composite Fibers'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this