Carbon Nanotube Based Composites : Processing, Properties, Modelling and Application

In the last decade carbon nanotubes (CNT) have attracted the interest of the international scientific community because of their exceptional mechanical properties, high thermal conductivity and peculiar electronic properties (ballistic transport).

A key way to take advantage of their amazing properties is by incorporating nanotubes into a matrix to build composite materials. The best candidates for this task are undoubtedly polymers. Almost every characteristic of a polymer can be significantly enhanced by adding carbon nanotubes and as a result, new potential applications of carbon nanotube enhanced polymer composites are discovered every day. However, before carbon nanotube enhanced polymer composites become commonplace there are some tough challenges that need to be overcome.

This book brings together all available information on carbon nanotube-based composites. Details of the more important processing techniques for manufacturing CNT–polymer composites are discussed, including such preprocessing treatments as purification, graphitisation and functionalisation. The book explores the state of the art concerning mechanical, thermal, electrical and optical properties of CNT composites made of the most frequently used polymer matrixes. There is quick access to a vast amount of the available data on the mechanical and electrical properties of CNT composites. There is a review of the numerical models, which have been developed in attempts to improve the understanding of the effects of CNT in a polymer matrix, and numerous examples of the possible applications of this category of composites.

This book reviews the status of worldwide research in both single-walled and multiwalled CNT-based composites. This practical, comprehensive guide is a useful reference to students and researchers from both academia and industry.