Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)-Infiltrated Carbon Nanotube Carpets

Abstract

Carbon nanotube-polymer interaction is one of the key factors controlling the mechanical properties in composite and hybrid systems of such constituents. The current study reports a series of direct observations of substantial polymer sheathing phenomena on millimeters-high carpets of vertically aligned tubes infiltrated by Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). SEM and TEM images of the composite’s fracture surface revealed that sheathing was extensive and universal over the carpet’s volume and did not influence the morphology, alignment or physical characteristics of the tubes. A significant increase in the tubes’ diameters due to PVA coating was measured. Thermogravimetric analysis results were compatible with a crystallinity increase of the polymer phase due to the presence of CNTs, indicating the potential of CNTs in nucleating polymer crystallinity. Potential applications of the nanocomposite are discussed.