Effects of microwave assisted heating of carbon nanofiber reinforced high density polyethylene

Carbon nanofiber and carbon nanotube reinforced polymer composites have shown promise due to their enhanced mechanical, electrical, thermal, and dielectric properties. In this study, vapor grown carbon nanofiber reinforced polyethylene composites were exposed to microwave radiation in a conventional resonance cavity microwave oven to explore the possibility of using microwave energy to assist the processing of carbon nanofiber reinforced thermoplastic composites and determine the effect of microwave radiation exposure on material properties. Average temperatures of up to 40 °C above ambient were measured after 5 min of microwave exposure. The effect of high power microwave radiation on the physical integrity of the composites via dynamic mechanical analysis, tensile tests, and dielectric analysis is presented. A drop of 50% in failure strain has been observed for composites with 15 and 20 wt% nanofiber concentrations after exposure to microwave radiation.