Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 April 2010
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have become strongly promising nano-particles for developingnovel smart polymer matrix nanocomposites to satisfy the ever increasing designrequirements of the recent avenues of space industry and other special structuralapplications. The objective of this paper is to investigate the influence of doped anddispersed CNTs in polymer matrix on its intrinsic properties. Three different types ofpolymers; polyvinylchloride (PVC), polymethylemethacrylate (PMMA), and polystyrene (PS)were subjected to this experimental investigation. CNTs/polymer matrix composites with acontent ratio of CNTs up to 5% by weight were synthesized in lab. The nanocomposites werethen characterized by measuring their mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. Inaddition, thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy(FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were applied, and the results are presentedand discussed. It can be generally concluded that both PMMA and PS polymers disclosed muchbetter matching ability and cross linking ability with the interweaving CNTs than the PVC.Both PMMA and PS polymers may thus be nominated for further extension of the investigationto cover a wider range of CNTs content ratios in an endeavour towards searching formaximum specific performance properties of such nanocomposites.