Enhanced thermal and electrical properties by Ag nanoparticles decorated GO-CNT nanostructures in PEEK composites

Hu, Chenxi; Liu, Tianhui; Neate, Nigel; Fay, Michael; Hou, Xianghui; Grant, David; Xu, Fang

Abstract

A nanostructure of graphene oxide (GO) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) decorated with silver nanoparticles (AgGNT) has been prepared via a molecular-level-mixing (MLM) method followed by a subsequent freeze-drying and reduction process. The obtained well-dispersed AgGNT nanostructures were then applied as fillers to reinforce the poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) matrix. AgGNT-PEEK composites have then demonstrated excellent electrical and thermal conduction performances as well as high thermal durability compared with pure PEEK and its pure Ag or GO-CNT (GNT) enhanced composites. Owing to the unique morphology of AgGNT nanostructures, which made them uniformly dispersed in the PEEK matrix and formed a 3D network structure, the AgGNT-PEEK composites displayed 60% higher thermal conductivity and around 109 times better electrical conduction performance than pure PEEK, and superior thermal durability even above the melting temperature of pure PEEK. Thus, the AgGNT-PEEK composites have shown great potential for applications such as semiconductors, high-temperature electrical applications, aerospace, and automobile materials.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 4, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Dec 7, 2021
• Publication Date: Feb 8, 2022
• Deposit Date: Dec 8, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 8, 2022
• Journal: Composites Science and Technology
• Print ISSN: 0266-3538
• Electronic ISSN: 1879-1050
• Publisher: Elsevier BV
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 218
• Article Number: 109201
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2021.109201
• Keywords: General Engineering; Ceramics and Composites
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/6912127
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0266353821005571
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: Enhanced thermal and electrical properties by Ag nanoparticles decorated GO-CNT nanostructures in PEEK composites; Journal Title: Composites Science and Technology; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2021.109201