Effective properties of multiwalled carbon nanotube/epoxy composites using two different tubes

Carbon nanotubes are nowadays produced with significantly different morphology. In composite applications, the tube morphology and impurity content is likely to affect the effective properties of the composite. In particular, the aspect ratio (L/d) of the reinforcement is one of the most influential parameters on the mechanical properties of the composite. In this work, we experimentally investigate mechanical, thermo-mechanical, and electrical properties of a brittle epoxy matrix reinforced with two different types of multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The nanotubes investigated have significantly different aspect ratios and slightly different content of metal impurities. The results indicate that the nanotube morphology and impurity content can significantly affect the effective properties of the resulting composite.