Zanghellini B, Knaack P, Schörpf S, Semlitsch KH, Lichtenegger HC, Praher B, Omastova M, Rennhofer H. Solvent-Free Ultrasonic Dispersion of Nanofillers in Epoxy Matrix.
Polymers (Basel) 2021;
13:polym13020308. [PMID:
33478153 PMCID:
PMC7835899 DOI:
10.3390/polym13020308]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Dispersion of carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers is a crucial processing step in the production of polymer-based nanocomposites and poses a great challenge due to the tendency of nanofillers to agglomerate. One of the most effective methods for dispersion is the use of a three-roll mill, which is a well-established method and results in agglomerates below 5 µm. Nevertheless, this process is time-consuming and thus a limiting factor for industrial applications. Our aim was to establish an easy and efficient ultrasonic dispersion process, characterize the dispersion parameters, and compare both methods, ultrasonication and the three-roll mill. We applied rheological tests and analyzed the agglomerate sizes by an image fit of the microscopy images. All these analyses combined deliver a valuable set of information about the dispersion’s quality and, therefore, allows the improvement and further adaptation of the dispersion process.
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