Effect of sea and distilled water conditioning on the overall mechanical properties of carbon nanotube/epoxy composites

Abstract

The study of mechanical properties of carbon nanotube reinforced polymeric materials under different environmental conditions are very much essential as this material possesses potential for using it in structural parts, automobiles, marine field and so on. This study deals with the effect of moisture absorption on the mechanical and thermal properties of carbon nanotube/epoxy composites by immersing it in sea and distilled water at 30℃ temperature and at 75% Relative Humidity (RH) humidity. Composite specimens containing different wt.% of carbon nanotubes were prepared, tested and subjected to water immersion test. The flexural properties, hardness and glass transition temperature (T_g) of water-immersed specimens were evaluated and compared with unexposed specimens as per the American Society for Testing and Material (ASTM) standard. It is concluded that the water absorption brought certain loss in the mechanical properties and reduction in T_g of the composites. It was also found that moisture uptake affected both sea and distilled water samples in different ways.