Fabrication and Characterization of Vapor Grown Carbon Nanofiber/Epoxy Magnetic Nanocomposites

Co3O4 nanoparticle-decorated vapor-grown carbon nano-fiber (VGCNF) hybrid materials were successfully synthesized and served as nanofillers for preparing magnetic epoxy (EP) nanocomposites. The Co3O4-decorated VGCNF (Co3O4-VGCNF) and Co3O4-VGCNF/EP nanocomposites were systematically and explicitly investigated by combined analytical techniques. The composition and phase structure of Co3O4-VGCNF hybrid materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses. The morphology of Co3O4 was investigated using field-emission scanning electronic microscopy (FE-SEM). Results revealed the presence of Co3O4 nanoparticles firmly immobilized on VGCNF side-walls. The tensile mechanical, thermomechanical, and magnetic properties of Co3O4-VGCNF/EP nanocomposites were also investigated in detail. Results indicated that the tensile strength of Co3O4-VGCNF/EP nanocomposites (filler=0.5 wt%) improved by 44.6% compared with that of raw VGCNF/EP nanocomposites (filler=0.5 wt%). Magnetization measurements revealed that Co3O4-VGCNF/EP nanocomposites exhibited ferromagnetic behavior, and the saturation magnetization and coercivity of the nanocomposites with 2 wt% of Co3O4-VGCNF were 0.055 emu g(-1) and 0.75 kOe, respectively. (C) 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers