Study of nanocomposites with carbon nanotubes and their tendency for carbon organization

Abstract

The carbon derived from the thermal treatment of modified phenolic resins (PR) tends to organize into graphitic lamellae or turbostratic carbon and is commonly considered non-graphitizable. In this study, nanocomposites were synthesized with modified phenolic resin (Novolac) used as the matrix and oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (NT_ox) in amounts ranging from 0.3 to 2.5 wt% as a filler. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with field emission gun (FEG), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were performed. By TGA, the PR-2.5 wt% nanocomposite showed less thermal degradation and higher stability when compared to the pure matrix after heat treatment up to 1000 °C. Graphitic carbon organization analysis by Raman spectroscopy, XRD, SEM/FEG, and TEM micrographs showed that the PR-2.5 wt% nanocomposite is suitable for technological applications, involving a carbon graphitization tendency.

Keywords:
nanocomposites; modified phenolic resin; carbon nanotubes; graphitization; organized carbon