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Effect of multiwalled carbon nanotube loading on the properties of Nafion® membranes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 October 2014

Nonhlanhla Precious Cele  and
Suprakas Sinha Ray
Nonhlanhla Precious Cele*
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
Suprakas Sinha Ray
Affiliation:
DST/CSIR Nanotechnology Innovation Centre, National Centre for Nanostructured Materials, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Brummeria Pretoria 0001, South Africa
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: nonhlanhla.cele@gmail.com
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Abstract

The dispersion of carbon nanotubes is one of the problems in the application of polymer nanocomposites. In this study, the effect of chemical functionalization of the carbon nanotube surface on the dispersion of the tubes within a polymer is reported. The effect of carbon nanotube weight loading on the properties of polymer membrane was also studied. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes were dispersed in Nafion® matrix by melt processing techniques to form nanocomposite membranes. The morphology, dc electrical conductivity, thermal stability, mechanical properties, and proton conductivity of these nanocomposites were investigated. Nitric acid functionalized carbon nanotubes were evenly dispersed with Nafion as observed by scanning electron microscopy. The measurements of mechanical properties indicate that this processing method and carbon nanotube loading can improve the modulus of the nanocomposites.

Keywords

carbon nanotubesNafion® membraneelectrical propertiesnanocomposite
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 30 , Issue 1: Focus Issue: Soft Nanomaterials , 14 January 2015 , pp. 66 - 78
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2015 

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