Effect of Nanotube Type on the Enhancement of Mechanical Properties of Free‐Standing Polymer/Nanotube Composite Films

In this work it will be shown that the mechanical reinforcement of polymer composites using carbon nanotubes is dependant on the total surface area of carbon nanotubes dispersed into the polymer matrix. Furthermore, it will be shown that the total length of carbon nanotubes dispersed in the polymer matrix does not have any influence on the mechanical properties. Four differently produced carbon nanotube samples were introduced into a polyvinyl alcohol matrix and it can be reported that the sample with the smallest diameter, thus the nanotube sample with the highest surface area, increased mechanical properties such as tensile modulus by 120% while adding less than 1wt% of carbon nanotubes. Measurements were accomplished on bulk free standing polymer films by tensile testing.