This paper discusses the effects of carbon nanofiber surface treatment (purification and chemical functionalization) and carbon nanofiber volume fraction on mechanical properties of thermoset vinyl ester polymer nanocomposites under tensile and flexural loadings. Highly graphitic carbon nanofibers were surface treated by addition of functional groups to their surface, which provided a stronger composite as compared to conventional composites due to better bonding of the fibers to the polymer matrix. It was found that addition of up to 1 wt.% functionalized carbon nanofibers provided increases in mechanical properties over the addition of higher volume fraction of carbon nanofibers.
HughesT. W., BurtonD., and GlasgowG., Proceedings of the TPO Conference, Society of Plastics Engineers, SPE Detroit Section, Dearborn, MI, (2002).
4.
FuS. Y., LaukeB., MaderE., YueC. Y., and HuX., Composites: Part A, 31, (2000), 1117–1125.
5.
LozanoK., Bonilla-RiosJ., and BarreraE. V., Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 80, (2001), 1162–1172.
6.
TandonG. P., KimR. Y., and RiceB. P., Proceedings for the American Society for composites 17th Technical Conference, Paper No. 2039, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, SunC. T., and KimH., eds., CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, (2002).
DaschC. J., and AligR. L., US Patent 5433906, (1995).
9.
GlasgowD. G., LakeM. L., TibbettsG. G., FineganJ. C., and KwagC., Proceedings of the SAMPE-ACCE-DOE Advanced Materials Conference, Detroit, MI, Benson TolleT., and LarsonB. K., eds., Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering, Covina, CA, (1999), 156.
10.
LakeM. L., GlasgowD. G., KwagC., and BurtonD. J., 47th International SAMPE Symposium, Long Beach, CA, Vol. 47 II, RasmussenB. M., PilatoL., and KligerH. S., eds., Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering, Covina, CA, (2002), 1794–1800.
11.
BurtonD. J., GlasgowD. G., LakeM. L., KwagC., and FineganJ. C., 46th International SAMPE Symposium, Long Beach, CA, Vol. 46 I, RepeckaL., and SaremiF. F., eds., Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering, Covina, CA, (2001), 647–657.
12.
FineganI. C., TibbettsG. G., GlasgowD. G., TingJ. -M., and LakeM. L., Journal of Materials Science, 38, (2003), 3485–3490.
13.
CarneiroO. S., CovasJ. A., BernardoC. A., CaldeiraG., Van HattumF. W. J., TingJ. -M., AligR. L., and LakeM. L., Composites Science and Technology, 58, (1998), 401–407.
14.
Van HattumF. W. J., BernardoC. A., and TibbettsG. G., Carbon Filaments and Nanotubes: Common Origins, Differing Applications, NATO Science Series E: Applied Sciences, Vol. 372, BiroL. P., BernardoC. A., TibbettsG. G., and LambinPh., eds., Kluwer Academic Pub, Boston, MA, (2001), 245–254.
15.
TibbettsG. G., and McHughJ. J., Journal of Materials Research, 14(7), (1999), 2871–2880.
16.
ASTM Standard D 638M-89, Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Plastics, Vol. 08. 01, American Society of Testing and Materials: West Conshohocken, PA, (1998).
17.
ASTM Standard D 790M-86, Standard Test Methods for Flexural Properties of Unreinforced and Reinforced Plastics and Electrical Insulating Materials, Vol. 08.01, American Society of Testing and Materials: West Conshohocken, PA, (1998).
18.
CoxH. L., British Journal of Applied Physics, 3, (1982), 72–79.
