Preparation and morphology study of carbon nanotube reinforced polyacrylonitrile nanofibres

The aim of this study was to prepare polyacrylonitrile ( PAN) nanofibres filled with multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNT) through an electrospinning process of a dispersion of CNT in a DMF solution of PAN. The rheological properties of pure PAN solutions and of CNT dispersion in PAN solutions were studied as the viscosity of the spun solution plays an important role in the spinning process. If the PAN solutions behave like a Newtonian fluid, CNT dispersions exhibit a more complex rheological behaviour characterised by the apparition of a flowing threshold. CNT dispersions containing 0 to 2.5% of CNT were electrospun in a homemade device. The morphology of prepared nanofibres was examined using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Nanofibres containing CNT show a mean diameter three times higher than the one spun without CNT and also a higher surface roughness. These observations suggest that CNT aggregates are not destroyed and create this particular morphology.