Study of electric heating effects on carbon nanotube polymer composites

Carbon nanotube (CNT) composites are ideal materials for electric heating (E-heating) components owing to their lightweight, rapid heating ability, and easy processability for microscale patterns. However, careful consideration of their thermal stability and the effect of E-heating on CNT composites is necessary to ensure safety and long-term durability. Thermal degradation of CNT composites as a result of E-heating was found to be much more severe than air convection heating (C-heating). Enhanced mechanical properties of CNT composite were observed after 40 h C-heating, while E-heating composites became fragile that the matrix was severely damaged at the same temperature/hours. Consequently, the electrical resistance of the CNT composite for E-heating was dramatically increased. To avoid thermal degradation and a dramatic increase in resistance, the E-heating temperature should be much lower than the temperature limit of thermally stable polymer. In addition, thermal degradation of the polymer matrix could be relieved through the addition of CNTs, which can be understood as parallel resistor model, by spreading thermal concentration throughout the polymer matrix. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.