Measurement Of Interfacial Energy And Friction Between Carbon Nanotubes And Polymer Matrix By A Micro-Pullout Test

The remarkable mechanical and electronic properties and large surface area of carbon nanotube make it an excellent candidate for energy and environment applications such as solar cells, fuel cells, batteries, and composite structures for windmill blades. One of issues that determine the useful life and hence reliability of the energy devices and structures is the interface between the nanotube and matrix/current collector that the nanotube embedded in. Here, we developed a simple method to quantitatively measure the interfacial strength of nanotube/matrix interfaces. Instead of nanoscale measurement which requires nanomanipulation, a micro-pillar was imprinted onto a composite surface on which nanotubes stick out with a given protruding length. The polymer pillar was then pulled out from the surface, and the maximum force was measured, based on which interfacial energy was calculated by finite element methods and analysis formula. The results show that the interfacial friction stress between nanotube and polymer matrix is in the range of 36-51MPa, which is consistent with the measurement by other methods.