Carbon nanotube-reinforced thermotropic liquid crystal polymer nanocomposites

Abstract

This paper focuses on the fabrication via simple melt blending of thermotropic liquid crystal polyester (TLCP) nanocomposites reinforced with a very small quantity of modified carbon nanotube (CNT) and the unique effects of the modified CNT on the physical properties of the nanocomposites. The thermal, mechanical, and rheological properties of modified CNT-reinforced TLCP nanocomposites are highly dependent on the uniform dispersion of CNT and the interactions between the CNT and TLCP, which can be enhanced by chemical modification of the CNT, providing a design guide of CNTreinforced TLCP nanocomposites with great potential for industrial uses. © 2009 by the authors; licensee Molecular Diversity Preservation International, Basel, Switzerland.