Design of MWCNT bucky paper reinforced PANI–DBSA–DVB composites with superior electrical and mechanical properties

Abstract

High-strength conducting polymer composites are in high demand in modern aerospace and automobile industries. Therefore, a thermosetting conducting polymer system, polyaniline (PANI) doped with dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) interconnected with divinylbenzene (DVB), has been used to design high-loading multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-reinforced composites. Herein, MWCNTs were used on a macroscale in the form of bucky paper (BP) and as secondary reinforcement in the matrix system. The mechanical and electrical properties of the resultant BP reinforced PANI–DBSA–DVB (PDD) composites were investigated. The maximum flexural strength and storage modulus were 45.8 MPa and 18.5 GPa, obtained in 16ply MWCNT BP composite with 0.05 wt% dispersed MWCNT (16ply0.05), representing overall improvements of ∼48.2% and ∼55.4%, respectively, compared with the neat PDD matrix system. The maximum in-plane and through-plane electrical conductivities of the 16ply0.05 composite were 39.5 and 1.4 S cm⁻¹, which were three and two orders of magnitude higher, respectively, compared with those of neat PDD matrix. This high electrical conductivity resulted in a maximum electromagnetic power loss of −37.5 dBm for the 16Ply0.05 composite, which represented an overall improvement of ∼231% over the neat PDD system. Furthermore, the effect of secondary phase of MWCNTs was investigated using FT-IR, UV-Vis, and DSC analyses.