Oriented and exfoliated single wall carbon nanotubes in polyacrylonitrile

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) fibers were gel spun at 0, 0.5, and 1 wt% SWNT content to a draw ratio of 51. Structure, morphology, and mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties of these fibers have been studied. PAN/SWNT composite exhibited much higher electron beam radiation resistance than PAN. As a result, PAN lattice images could be easily observed in the composite fiber by high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The PAN/SWNT composite fiber also exhibited higher solvent resistance than the control PAN fiber. UV–vis spectroscopy of highly drawn fiber exhibited van Hove transitions, suggesting SWNT exfoliation upon drawing. SWNT exfoliation was also confirmed by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). At 1 wt% SWNT loading, fiber storage modulus (at 1 Hz) increased by 13.9, 6.6, and 0.2 GPa at −75, 25, and 150 °C, respectively. This suggests that the load transfer ability and hence interfacial strength is increasing with decreasing temperature, even below the polymerʹs γ transition temperature.