Mechanical and electrical properties of a MWNT/epoxy composite

Multi-walled carbon nanotube/epoxy resin composites have been fabricated. By choosing an over-aged hardener, relatively soft and ductile matrix, a rubbery epoxy resin, has been obtained. This made possible to evaluate the effect of nanotube addition on the whole stress-strain curve up to high strain level. The mechanical and electrical properties of the composite with different weight percentages of nanotubes have been investigated. The Young's modulus and the yield strength have been doubled and quadrupled for composites with respectively 1 and 4 wt.% nanotubes, compared to the pure resin matrix samples. Conductivity measurements on the composite samples showed that the insulator-to-conductor transition took place for nanotube concentration between 0.5% and 1 wt.%. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.