The effects of surface modifications of multiwalled carbon nanotubes on their dispersibility in different solvents and poly(ether ether ketone)

The effects of surface modifications of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on their dispersibility in different solvents and poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) have been studied. MWCNTs were treated by mixed acids to obtain acid-functionalized MWCNTs. The acid-functionalized MWCNTs were modified with five different chemical agents separately, 1,6-diaminohexane, hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide, silane coupling agent 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, anhydrous sulfanilic acid, and ethanolamine. Multiwalled carbon nanotube and PEEK (MWCNT/PEEK) composite films were fabricated to explore systematically the dispersibility of differently modified MWCNTs in PEEK as well as in different solvents. The morphology and structures of MWCNTs and the compatibility between MWCNTs and PEEK have been investigated. It was observed that the MWCNTs modified with anhydrous sulfanilic acid have an excellent dispersion in the PEEK grafted by sulfonic acid groups and that the MWCNTs modified with ethanolamine are also dispersed well in pure PEEK. The results herein provide useful insights into the development of MWCNT/PEEK composites for a wide variety of applications.