Nanocomposite Fibers
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Nanocomposite Fibers Yong K. Kim, Armand F. Lewis, Prabir K. Patra, Steven B. Warner, Shamal K. Mhetre, Mithun A. Shah and Daejin Nam Department of Textile Sciences, College of Engineering, University of MassachusettsDartmouth, Dartmouth, MA 02747-2300, USA ABSTRACT Nanocomposite fibers involve the concept of integrally dispersing nanosized particles of the second phase inorganic material into fiber forming polymers such as nylon or polyester. The material goal involves obtaining bi-phasic fibers with high mechanical stiffness and strength, electrical conductivity and/or enhanced other features such as thermal stability. Thus far, the main difficulties toward achieving nanocomposite fibers are: (1) the inability of obtaining large quantities of nanoparticles in a pure, unagglomerated state and (2) obtaining a uniform, intimate dispersion of single entity nanoparticles in a fiber polymer matrix. These problems have been approached in the context of studying the properties of experimentally prepared nano-silica reinforced fibers and attempts to prepare carbon nanotube, CNT, containing fiber material. Modulus and tenacity tests on experimentally prepared nanosilica filled PET (polyethyleneterephthalate) fibers showed the silica nanoparticles reduced the modulus and tenacity (tensile strength) of the filled PET fiber materials. DSC and shrinkage studies on nano-silica/PET fiber show that polymer crystallinity is influenced by the presence of the silica nano-particles. Heats of melting are found to increase as the filler loading increases. In further shrinkage studies, the “shrinkage modulus” of these nanosilica/PET fibers was found to increase by the addition of silica nanoparticles. Attempts to prepare nylon reinforced CNTs (multi-wall) from a commercially available CNT/nylon resin “concentrate” failed due to the poor melt dispersion processing of the blended polymer. Only very weak CNT reinforced nylon fibers could be prepared.
INTRODUCTION This paper focuses on the understanding of creating nanocomposite Fibers. Here one must determine ways of intimately blending individual entities of nanofibers, such as carbon nanotubes and SiC whiskers, silica and clay, into polymers with the goal of producing new forms of textile fibers. The properties of these presumed nanocomposite fibers are widely different from the spectrum of fiber forming polymers that now exist. One might expect the modulus and strength of existing fiber polymers to be greatly enhanced by the addition of nanofiber reinforcement. For example, if carbon nanotube (CNT) particle implanted fibers are used, one would expect a great increase in the electrical conductivity of the so-reinforced fibers since CNTs themselves are electrically conducting. Nanofiber particle reinforced fiber polymers such as nylon, polyester, acrylic, cellulose etc. are the more obvious fiber composites to study as the more traditional choice of fiber producing polymer. However, the fabrication of nanocomposite fibers from these polymeric media is not a direct process.
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