Carbon nanotube reinforced aluminum powders (Al-CNT) were fabricated by ball milling. The morphology observed by a scanning electron microscope showed impregnation of CNTs on the surface of aluminum flakes (Al-flakes). Polycarbonate (PC)/Al-CNT nanocomposites were prepared by a twin-screw extruder. The electrical resistivity of PC/Al-flake composites did not change with Al-flake content, while that of PC/CNT nanocomposites decreased with increasing CNT content, and the percolation threshold was obtained at 2 wt% CNT loading. The electrical resistivity of PC/Al-CNT nanocomposites showed a behavior similar to PC/CNT nanocomposites. The thermal conductivity of the composites increased with increasing filler contents. The PC/Al-CNT composites showed a viscosity trend that is similar to PC/CNT composites; however, it showed higher viscosities (G*, G") than PC/Al-flake composites in the low frequency range (up to ∼10 Hz) and lower viscosities in the higher frequency range (>10 Hz). The tensile modulus of PC/ Al-CNT composite increased while the strength decreased with increasing filler content. The modulus of PC/Al-CNT composite was higher than PC/CNT and PC/ Al-flake composites.
We report a study on manufacturing and characterization of a platform material for high‐performance lightweight bipolar plates for fuel cells based on nanocomposites consisting of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (xGnPs). The experiments were designed and performed in three steps. In the preexperimental stage, xGnP‐epoxy composite samples were prepared at various xGnP weight percentages to determine the maximum processable nanofiller concentration. The main part of the experiment employed the statistics‐based design of experiments (DOE) methodology to identify improved processing conditions and CNT : xGnP ratio for minimized electrical resistivity. In the postexperimental stage, optimized combinations of material and processing parameters were investigated. With the aid of a reactive diluent, 20 wt.% was determined to the be maximum processable carbon nanomaterial content in the epoxy. The DOE analyses revealed that the CNT : xGnP ratio is the most dominant factor that governs the electrical properties, and its implications in relation to CNT‐xGnP interactions and microstructure are elucidated. In addition, samples fabricated near the optimized condition revealed that there exists an optimal CNT : xGnP ratio at which the electrical performance can be maximized. The electrical and mechanical properties of optimal samples suggest that CNT‐xGnP hybrid nanocomposites can serve as an alternative material platform for affordable, lightweight bipolar plates.
Highly flexible, durable, and transparent conducting films are fabricated from the de-bundled SWCNTs in aqueous solutions of SPES with high conductivity (125 Ω sq−1) and good transmittance (87%) without adopting any binder or post treatment techniques.
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