Table Of ContentSPRINGER BRIEFS IN MATERIALS
Ronald L. Poveda
Nikhil Gupta
Carbon Nanofiber
Reinforced
Polymer
Composites
123
SpringerBriefs in Materials
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/10111
Ronald L. Poveda · Nikhil Gupta
Carbon Nanofiber
Reinforced Polymer
Composites
1 3
Ronald L. Poveda Nikhil Gupta
Department of Mechanical Department of Mechanical
and Aerospace Engineering and Aerospace Engineering
Polytechnic School of Engineering Polytechnic School of Engineering
New York University New York University
Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn, NY
USA USA
ISSN 2192-1091 ISSN 2192-1105 (electronic)
SpringerBriefs in Materials
ISBN 978-3-319-23786-2 ISBN 978-3-319-23787-9 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-23787-9
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015948858
Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London
© The Author(s) 2016
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part
of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations,
recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or
information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar
methodology now known or hereafter developed.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication
does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant
protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book
are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the
editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors
or omissions that may have been made.
Printed on acid-free paper
Springer International Publishing AG Switzerland is part of Springer Science+Business Media
(www.springer.com)
Preface
Unprecedented growth in the applications of composite materials has been
observed in the past 10 years. Many commercial aircraft and passenger cars are
now using composite materials. High cost of raw materials, intense labor depend-
ence, and property variations from batch to batch were some of the factors against
composite materials in their initial years of development, which are now slowly
being overcome to enable many mainstream applications. As a variety of fiber
and particle reinforced polymer matrix composites find applications in bulk quan-
tities, the quest for improved next generation composites continues. Composites
with nanoscale reinforcement, commonly referred to as nanocomposites, are now
a major focus area in academic and industrial research laboratories.
Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) are one-dimensional nanoscale fibers that have
outstanding mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. CNFs have been
considered for use in several specialty and commercial applications, including
those in the aerospace, automobile, and marine industries. CNFs can be useful in
enhancing and tailoring the properties of polymer matrix composites without a
significant increase in bulk composite density. Such a consideration is critical for
weight-saving structural applications.
The physical properties of polymer composites can be enhanced to a great
extent through designed dispersion of CNFs. Such effects correspond to the struc-
ture and innate properties of CNFs, as well as how the composite is fabricated and
processed. The structure of CNFs can vary depending on the fabrication method,
thus resulting in varied strength and stiffness properties. Further processing such
as additional heat and chemical treatment can result in further fiber structure and
surface tailorability, which can lead to improved polymer composite performance
when incorporated. Inclusion of CNFs has also demonstrated unique fracture fail-
ure mechanisms under various loading modes, as well as a range of loading rates.
From the vast body of literature on CNFs and their composite materials, it is
possible to miss some contributions in the references. We have primarily covered
the information available in journal publications. Conference publications and
theses/dissertations are referred only if some critical information not available in
peer-reviewed journals was taken from them. The field continues to evolve at a
v
vi Preface
rapid pace. We hope that this brief book will provide a starting point for interested
readers to gain a basic understanding about the major material parameters and
mechanical properties of CNFs and their nanocomposites. Readers can use the
cited references for detailed information.
Brooklyn, NY, USA Ronald L. Poveda
Nikhil Gupta
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank a number of people who contributed to the research
related to CNF reinforced polymer composites in their group over the past decade.
These individuals include Dr. Vasanth C. Shunmugasamy, Dr. Dinesh Pinisetty,
Dr. Dung D. Luong, Dr. Gabriele Tagliavia, Dr. Michele Colloca, Sriniket Achar,
Dennis John, Gleb Dorogokupets, Andres Donoso, Matthew Moore, Matthew
Labella, and Steven E. Zeltmann. Diligent work by these current and past p ostdocs
and students resulted in several publications that became the basis for developing
this book. Assistance in manuscript editing by Dr. Christopher Thajudeen is
appreciated.
Parts of this work were supported by the Office of Naval Research grant
N00014-10-1-0988, Army Research Laboratory cooperative agreement
W911NF-11-2-0096, and National Science Foundation grant IIA-1445686. The
views and conclusions contained in this book are those of the authors and should
not be interpreted as presenting the official policies or position, either expressed or
implied, of the ONR, ARL, NSF, or the U.S. Government unless so designated by
other authorized documents.
vii
Contents
1 Introduction ................................................ 1
1.1 Polymer Matrix Composites ................................ 2
1.1.1 Classification of Composite Materials .................. 4
1.1.2 Hybrid and Multiscale Composites .................... 7
1.2 Introduction to CNF/Epoxy Composites ...................... 8
1.3 Organization of the Present Book ........................... 9
References .................................................. 9
2 Carbon Nanofibers: Structure and Fabrication ................... 11
2.1 Structure and Fabrication .................................. 12
2.1.1 Vapor Grown CNFs ................................ 12
2.1.2 Electrospun CNFs (ECNFs) .......................... 15
2.1.3 Comparison of VGCNFs and ECNFs ................... 15
2.2 Measured Mechanical Properties of CNFs ..................... 16
2.3 CNF Surface Enhancement ................................ 20
2.4 Modeling of Mechanical Properties of CNF ................... 21
2.5 Summary .............................................. 23
References .................................................. 24
3 Mechanical Properties of CNF/Polymer Composites .............. 27
3.1 Literature Review ........................................ 27
3.2 Tensile Properties ........................................ 28
3.3 Compressive Properties ................................... 34
3.4 Flexural Properties ....................................... 35
3.5 Other Mechanical Properties ............................... 36
3.6 Common Analytical Models for Experimental Validation ......... 38
3.7 Summary .............................................. 40
References .................................................. 41
ix
x Contents
4 Environmental Effects on CNF/Polymer Composites .............. 43
4.1 Introduction ............................................ 43
4.2 Studies on Moisture Effects on Polymers
and Fiber Reinforced Composites ........................... 44
4.3 Investigations on CNF/Polymer Composites ................... 47
4.4 Summary .............................................. 50
References .................................................. 50
5 Thermal Expansion of CNF/Polymer Composites ................. 53
5.1 Introduction ............................................ 53
5.2 Thermomechanical Analysis Methods ........................ 54
5.3 Experimental and Analytical CTE Investigations ............... 55
5.3.1 Experimental Results ............................... 55
5.3.2 Analytical Modeling CTE of CNF/Epoxy Composites ..... 58
5.4 Summary .............................................. 60
References .................................................. 61
6 Dynamic Mechanical Analysis of CNF/Polymer Composites ........ 63
6.1 Introduction ............................................ 63
6.2 Dynamic Mechanical Analyses of CNF/Polymer Composites. . . . . . 64
6.3 Results and Discussion .................................... 66
6.4 Summary .............................................. 69
References .................................................. 69
7 Electrical Properties of CNF/Polymer Composites ................ 71
7.1 Introduction ............................................ 71
7.2 Electrical Impedance Analysis .............................. 71
7.3 Results and Discussion .................................... 72
7.4 Summary .............................................. 74
References .................................................. 75
8 CNF Reinforced Multiscale Composites ......................... 77
8.1 Composites with Three or More Phases ....................... 78
8.2 Mechanical Properties of Multiscale Composites ............... 79
8.2.1 Additional Reinforcement and Fillers .................. 79
8.2.2 Compressive Properties ............................. 83
8.2.3 Flexural Properties ................................. 87
8.2.4 Interlaminar Shear Strength and Fracture Toughness ...... 89
8.2.5 Dynamic Mechanical Analysis ........................ 91
8.3 Summary .............................................. 92
References .................................................. 93
Index ......................................................... 97
