Investigations on Thermal Conductivity of Carbon Nanotubes Reinforced Composites

Abstract

Natural rubber, as well as natural reinforced rubber, with different carbon nanotubes concentrations, 10 and 20 mm, thick, have been structurally, chemically, and thermally investigated. Scanning electron microscopy techniques, as well as X-ray energy dispersive analysis, Raman, and thermal conductivity analysis, were used in characterizing materials in order to establish a connection among the CNT concentration, homogeneity of reinforcing elements within the natural rubber, and their thermal conductivity characteristics. The theoretical approach reveals the dependence between the thermal conductivity and reinforcing elements. The final result confirms the increase of the effective thermal conductivity with the concentration of CNT.

Keywords::

• natural rubber
• carbon nanotubes reinforcing elements
• thermal characteristics
• scanning electron microscopy
• X-ray energy dispersive analysis

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the reviewers for very helpful suggestions. Special thanks are extended to Prof. E. Mamut from University Ovidius, Romania, for his help in composite sample preparation, as well as to Prof. C. Focsa, Lille 1 University, France, for his help in Raman investigations.

Notes

Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www.tandfonline.com/ueht