FUEL CELL PLATE MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURE

FUEL CELL INSTITUTE

UNIVERSITI KEBANGSAAN MALAYSIA

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Abstract

  1.  4^th International Conference on Recent Advances in Materials, Minerals and Environment  

       and 2^nd Asian Symposium on Material and Processing (RAMM & ASMP 2009)

Effect of Filler Loading on Electrical Conductivity of CNTs/Epoxy Nanocomposites

Hendra Suherman^*,**, Abu Bakar Sulong^* and Jaafar Sahari*

^*Fuel Cell Institute, University Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi,Selangor, Malaysia

^**Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bung Hatta University, Padang, Indonesia

 Abstract

This study investigates the influence of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as reinforcement filler and epoxy as matrix on the electrical and hardness properties. The different CNTs concentrations (0 ~ 10 wt. %) were added into the epoxy resin. The dispersion of CNTs in epoxy resin was conducted by high speed mixer through mechanical shearing mechanism. The mixture of CNTs/epoxy suspension was poured into the mold and compression molding was conducted for fabrication of CNTs/epoxy nanocomposites. The electrical conductivity of nanocomposite by variation of CNTs concentration was measured by the four point probe. Agglomeration of CNTs in epoxy matrix was observed on fractured surface by scanning electron microscopic.  Non conductive epoxy polymer becomes conductor as addition of CNTs. Electrical conductivity of nanocomposite plates were increased with increasing CNTs concentration. Hardness property of epoxy nanocomposites were reached the highest value at 5.0wt% , then it was decreased.

Key words: Carbon nanotubes, Electrical conductivity, Nanocomposites