Carbon Nano Tubes having dominant properties when its performing single, but in composite its property not good, due to non uniform mixing over specified metals or polymers (Cluster formation), especially for Copper and Aluminium.
You can try ball milling. I used that when mixing MWCNTs with aluminum. The time you need is atleast 2 - 3 hrs to get a good homogeneous mix. I have not tried it with polymers.
First of all Thanks for your valuable suggestions,
I too was used Ball milling to mix, CNT and Aluminium. But if you are keeping CNT on Ball milling more than hours the outer most structure of CNT is getting affected, after ball milling process. So the expected output may nt get.
The solution depends on many factors, First, why you want to mix them?If you are looking for efficient Physical mixing, depending on the intricacies involved with CNTs the output you are expecting will be only ideal. There will be a loss, You will need to optimize it.
Explore about molecular level mixing. But for that you have to start with metal salt in most of cases rather than the metallic powder then u may have to calcinate and reduce to get the composite powder. Uniformity of dispersion will be very good, no agglomeration. Hope this will help you.
Please find my article on the highlighted issues. "Effect of milling parameters on the nanostructural evolution ...". I think you can optimize your milling parameters to get a good dispersion of CNTs. This optimization is somewhere in between the dispersion and resulted deformation to CNTs during the milling process. I have highlighted these issues in the article. here is the link:
Dear Jay, Molecular level mixing is a novel chemical technique to homogeneously distribute CNTs and resist their agglomeration or cluster making ability. this method is far better than conventional ball milling, which may even lead to impurites in basic composition. please read " Molecular level mixing: An approach for synthesis of homogenous hybrid ceramic nanocomposite powders" and never hesitate to ask more in detail, if you need. Good Luck
Article Molecular level mixing: An approach for synthesis of homogen...