Dear Asep,

I assume that your general question is mostly addressed to have first information about the techniques of preparation of polymer - CNT nanocomposites characterized by high performances and specific-end use properties…

First of all, please consider that different key-factors must be considered directly connected to the nature of application and your main objectives (mechanical and/or electrical properties, flame retardancy, etc.) that are followed: type of polymer matrix and its interaction with CNT nanofiller (surface treated and functionalized or not), nature, characteristics and loading of nanofiller, techniques of production (melt-blending, solvent mixing approach, other methods), experiments realized at small laboratory scale or at larger scale…

For instance I believe that is helpfully to use the primary information available on the different sites from some reviews and books and then to focus more on your specific goals. I will give only some examples for eventual consideration because the State of the Art is very large…

Good luck and best regards,

Marius

Reviews

Mittal, G.; Dhand, V.; Rhee, K. Y.; Park, S.-J.; Lee, W. R., A review on carbon nanotubes and graphene as fillers in reinforced polymer nanocomposites. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry 2015, 21, 11-25.

doi:10.1016/j.jiec.2014.03.022

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1226086X14001762#

Spitalsky, Z.; Tasis, D.; Papagelis, K.; Galiotis, C., Carbon nanotube–polymer composites: Chemistry, processing, mechanical and electrical properties. Progress in Polymer Science 2010, 35 (3), 357-401.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0079670009000859

Rahmat, M.; Hubert, P., Carbon nanotube–polymer interactions in nanocomposites: A review. Composites Science and Technology 2011, 72 (1), 72-84.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0266353811003599

Han, Z.; Fina, A., Thermal conductivity of carbon nanotubes and their polymer nanocomposites: A review. Progress in Polymer Science 2011, 36 (7), 914-944.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0079670010001243

Books

Carbon Nanotubes – Polymer Nanocomposites, Edited by Siva Yellampalli

http://www.intechopen.com/books/carbon-nanotubes-polymer-nanocomposites

(Attention: you have open access)

Polymer–Carbon Nanotube Composites  Preparation, Properties and Applications

A volume in Woodhead Publishing Series in Composites Science and Engineering, Edited by: T. McNally and P. Pötschke

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/book/9781845697617

…

http://www.intechopen.com/books/carbon-nanotubes-polymer-nanocomposites

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/book/9781845697617

http://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs-wm/16990.pdf

You can just CNTs in your polymer solution and mix them by ball or roll milling process.

Depends on polymer. If You can use alcohol to make solution of one (or more) component first make 'concentrate' of nanoparticles and low viscosity, fast evaporating liquid. Just put eg. 0,5 mg of nanotubes into few mililitres of isopropyl into glass (it is important to put in ceramics not polymer can) bottle and use ultrasound to disaglomerate nanoparticles. After few (hours) of shaking mix this solution with part of polymer (depends on polymer) before polymerization, to let isopropyl to evaporate. This is the way how I made Polyurethanes with MMT 13 years ago.

Another way is to use thin hole to squeeze through nanoparticles with part of polymer which is termoplastic (eg. resin as oligoethylene-butylene adipate) to make concentrate, but of well dispersed nanoparticles into polymer matrix. After 150 - 200 times with differ pressure mixture should be ok. This way I was using 10 years ago to make concentrate for polyurethane polymerization.

Another way is for duroplastics. Usually these polymer consist of more than 2 components. For phenolic resign, which I took into consideration, I was using 2 components: resin and curing agent (few percent). Because the resin has huge viscosity I put it into (device I made) ultrasonic 'bath' with adjustable heater. In some (experimentally obtained) temperature, viscosity of resin fall down. This let me to mix nanoparticles into polymer's component. This way I design, create and 'sell' in Polish Project PBZ-KBN-095/T08/2003. Few days ago I have seen the presentation about same technology what one will be try to make patent of it, so think it is the time to share my knowledge. 

Many things were omitted, such as: why concentrate why shaking, what energy, temperature and why; just because the question is not precise.

Another way is to do things as Morteza propose. Beware of agglomeration!

It depends on what you want and what you need as final properties of nanocomposites.

There are many papers and some books in this respect, see my papers for melt mixing process 

Dear go through my paper recently published in NJC there we have synthesized nanocomposite materials of Ba/alginate/carboxymethylcellulose/graphene oxide/Au nanoparticles . I hope u will get abit information from this paper

Fabrication of hierarchically organized nanocomposites of Ba/alginate/carboxymethylcellulose/graphene oxide/Au nanoparticles and their catalytic efficiency in o-nitroaniline reduction

by Molly Thomas, Gowhar Ahmad Naikoo, Mehraj Ud Din Sheikh, Mustri Bano and Farid Khan  

New J. Chem., 2015, Advance Article

DOI: 10.1039/C5NJ01765C, Paper

Dear Asep,

I assume that your general question is mostly addressed to have first information about the techniques of preparation of polymer - CNT nanocomposites characterized by high performances and specific-end use properties…

First of all, please consider that different key-factors must be considered directly connected to the nature of application and your main objectives (mechanical and/or electrical properties, flame retardancy, etc.) that are followed: type of polymer matrix and its interaction with CNT nanofiller (surface treated and functionalized or not), nature, characteristics and loading of nanofiller, techniques of production (melt-blending, solvent mixing approach, other methods), experiments realized at small laboratory scale or at larger scale…

For instance I believe that is helpfully to use the primary information available on the different sites from some reviews and books and then to focus more on your specific goals. I will give only some examples for eventual consideration because the State of the Art is very large…

Good luck and best regards,

Marius

Reviews

Mittal, G.; Dhand, V.; Rhee, K. Y.; Park, S.-J.; Lee, W. R., A review on carbon nanotubes and graphene as fillers in reinforced polymer nanocomposites. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry 2015, 21, 11-25.

doi:10.1016/j.jiec.2014.03.022

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1226086X14001762#

Spitalsky, Z.; Tasis, D.; Papagelis, K.; Galiotis, C., Carbon nanotube–polymer composites: Chemistry, processing, mechanical and electrical properties. Progress in Polymer Science 2010, 35 (3), 357-401.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0079670009000859

Rahmat, M.; Hubert, P., Carbon nanotube–polymer interactions in nanocomposites: A review. Composites Science and Technology 2011, 72 (1), 72-84.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0266353811003599

Han, Z.; Fina, A., Thermal conductivity of carbon nanotubes and their polymer nanocomposites: A review. Progress in Polymer Science 2011, 36 (7), 914-944.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0079670010001243

Books

Carbon Nanotubes – Polymer Nanocomposites, Edited by Siva Yellampalli

http://www.intechopen.com/books/carbon-nanotubes-polymer-nanocomposites

(Attention: you have open access)

Polymer–Carbon Nanotube Composites  Preparation, Properties and Applications

A volume in Woodhead Publishing Series in Composites Science and Engineering, Edited by: T. McNally and P. Pötschke

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/book/9781845697617

…

http://www.intechopen.com/books/carbon-nanotubes-polymer-nanocomposites

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/book/9781845697617

http://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs-wm/16990.pdf

thank to Marius that citet my review.

Papers about CNT/polymer are enough, so to find suitable answer is very easy.

The nanocomposite based on polyacrylonitrile and carbon nanotubes can be obtained by an Ultra Sound method. The solvent is dimetylformamide.

Good luck. V.Kozlov

The only question you have to ask yourself is how to disperse the CNT. If they are loose and easily dispersible, you may just want to mix them with your polymer in an Extruder. Simple and very effective. However if the CNT Agglomerate are quite hard, simple shear will not be enough. Then you may want to predisperse them in a low viscosity solvent by ultrasound or even functionalize them to have better interaction with the solvent/polymer Matrix.

As everyone said there is lot of literature and hundreds of different methods. Regardless of the one you pick, if you are aiming for mechanical properties, I can only suggest to try to reduce the solvent as much as possible, or better work dry, so in molten polymer, as this will give you on average better properties. It makes not much sense to first compromise your polymer by dissolving it in a solvent and then try to improve them by adding CNT. Plus it is also greener.

Giulio

Hi!

Look at this research paper.