Synthesis of carbon nanofibers/mica hybrids for antistatic coatings

The use of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) as polymer additive has been impeded due to the problem associated with the dispersion of CNFs. In this study, CNFs/mica hybrids were synthesized by catalytic decomposition of CO over mica supported iron catalysts to increase their dispersity in polymer matrix. Antistatic coatings were prepared by dispersing the as-synthesized hybrids into epoxy with low shearing agitation and then casting the mixture by a coater. With the help of mica, the CNFs could be easily dispersed into the resin uniformly. The morphology of the CNFs, their distributions on mica surface and the size of mica, are discriminated to have great effect on surface resistivity of the coating.