Characterization of carbon nanotube 3D-structures infused with low viscosity epoxy resin system

This work presents the use of carbon nanotube (CNT) skeletons and the resin infusion process as a path towards the production of polymer composites with high and well dispersed nanotube content. A general purpose low viscosity epoxy resin was used as matrix in the reported process assessment. Thin CNT papers, called skeletons, were initially produced to obtain CNT networks. The impregnation was made by infiltrating the non-diluted resin through the carbon nanotube structure. The results show the proposed processing approach as one capable of producing well dispersed nanocomposites with high CNT loading (more than 15 wt% CNT by composite weight), which are important for developing high performance structures based on carbon nanotubes with good thermal and electrical conductivity. The absolute mechanical performance was lower than expected, and discussed in light of manufacturing problems detected by microscopy observations under scanning electron microscopy (SEM).