ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Synergistic effect of esterification and densification on structural modification of CNT yarn for efficient interfacial performance

Sidra Saleemi, Hafiz Abdul Mannan, Alamin Idris, Wei Liu, and Fujun Xu

Shanghai Frontier Science Research Center for Modern Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

E-mail: fjxu@dhu.edu.cn

Received: 1 April 2022  Accepted: 30 August 2022

Abstract:

Chemically modified carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers and CNT yarns prepared by a simple twisting method, both result in weak mechanical properties limiting their practical application. Therefore, in this paper, the interfacial properties of CNT yarn have been improved remarkably by introducing a two-stage strategy, i.e., by inter-tube cross-linking and densification of CNTs within CNT yarn. For this purpose, multiwall carbon nanotube film was chemically modified using acid and alcohol to induce ester bonds among CNTs, and then further densified by the wet compression method using acetone as a lubricant. After cross-linking and densification, a compact structure was observed by the SEM and TEM techniques. The product CNT yarn showed significant enhancements in mechanical properties due to the strong chemical interactions among the CNTs. The tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the CNT yarn increased from 131 to 991.5 MPa and 0.7 to 6.0 GPa, respectively. The interactions induced by inter-tube cross-linking and densification were confirmed by TGA, FTIR, and XPS analyses and further quantified by the extent of functionalization. In addition, the interfacial shear strength of the cross-linked and densified CNT yarn was increased from 15 to 60 MPa compared with the pristine CNT yarn. Therefore, the enhanced mechanical strength of CNT yarns indicates their promising potential in a variety of applications.

Graphical abstract

Keywords: Carbon nanotubes yarn; Chemical modification; Cross-linking; Interfacial properties; Densification

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-022-02467-8

Chemical Papers 77 (1) 75–87 (2023)