NANOCOMPOSITES BASED ON NONWOVEN BORON NITRIDE NANOTUBE SHEETS: PROCESSING AND PROPERTIES

This study focuses on the development of nanocomposites based on impregnation of boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) buckypaper. A low viscosity aerospace-grade epoxy (Araldite MY0510) is used for the impregnation of buckypaper sheets containing about 20 vol% BNNT. Characterization results based on scanning electron microscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis and tensile testing are presented. The results suggest that nearly full impregnation of BNNT buckypaper was achieved, which was associated with significant enhancement of resin mechanical properties. A Young's modulus and ultimate tensile strength of 7.7 GPa and 40 MPa, respectively, were obtained for the BNNT nanocomposites. The developed nanocomposite behaves as a brittle material (i.e., strain at failure of <1%), while the optical transparency along with potentially unique thermal and mechanical properties make the material interesting for many applications including in the aerospace and defense sectors.