Nonisothermal Kinetic Degradation of Hybrid CNT/Alumina Epoxy Nanocomposites

Due to the synergistic effect that occurs between CNTs and alumina, CNT/alumina hybrid-filled epoxy nanocomposites show significant enhancements in tensile properties, flexural properties, and thermal conductivity. This study is an extension of previously reported investigations into CNT/alumina epoxy nanocomposites. A series of epoxy composites with different CNT/alumina loadings were investigated with regard to their thermal-degradation kinetics and lifetime prediction. The thermal-degradation parameters were acquired via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in a nitrogen atmosphere. The degradation activation energy was determined using the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (F-W-O) method for the chosen apparent activation energy. The Ea showed significant differences at alpha > 0.6, which indicate the role played by the CNT/alumina hybrid filler loading in the degradation behavior. From the calculations, the lifetime prediction at 5% mass loss decreased with an increase in the temperature service of nitrogen. The increase in the CNT/alumina hybrid loading revealed its contribution towards thermal degradation and stability. On average, a higher Ea was attributed to greater loadings of the CNT/alumina hybrid in the composites.

Automated summary

The study explores the thermal degradation kinetics and lifetime prediction of epoxy composites with different loadings of CNT/alumina, demonstrating the significant contribution of CNT/alumina hybrid filler to the thermal properties of the composites. The higher Ea associated with increased CNT/alumina hybrid loading indicates improved thermal degradation and stability of the materials.