Influence of surface treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes on cure behavior of epoxy nanocomposites

The influence of surface treated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the cure behavior of a bisphenol-A glycidol ether epoxy resin/2-ethyl-4-methylimidazole system was investigated with non-isothermal differential scanning calorimetry. With the increase of the MWCNT content, the initial curing temperature, exothermic peak temperature and cure reaction activation energy first increase and subsequently decrease. The addition of MWCNTs results in a continuous increase in the degree of vitrification in the epoxy system, so that the cure reaction is likely to be diffusion controlled at lower heating rate and larger conversion fractions.