Thermo-physical characterisation of epoxy resin reinforced by amino-functionalized carbon nanofibers

Epoxy/carbon nanofibers (CNFs) composites with different proportions of CNFs have been synthesised. In order to improve the CNFs dispersion into epoxy matrix, the nanofibers were functionalized with amino groups. The effect of the content and the functionalization of the nano-filler on the morphology of nanocomposite structure has been studied by optical and electron microscopies. It has been found that the CNFs dispersion is enhanced with the functionalization process up to nanofibers contents of 1 wt%. it has been also found that reached dispersion level markedly affects to the physical and thermo-dynamical mechanical properties of the epoxy nanocomposites. The addition of CNFs causes an important increase of the coefficient of thermal expansion and the glassy storage modulus of nanocomposites but the alpha-relaxation temperature decreases. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.