Functionalized Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes for the Improvement of Dispersion Stability in Diesel Fuel-type for Potential Application as Nano Additives

Carbon nanotubes functionalized with long-chain compounds were obtained. Using different characterization techniques, such as thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, surface area analysis and electron microscopy (EM), it was possible to characterize the carbon nanotubes, verifying the presence of the added aliphatic chains, as well as the formation of the amide bonds, the morphological and structural changes of the material. Those functionalized with oleylamine showed dispersion stability in Colombian commercial diesel for at least 70 days, by visual inspection; using UV-Vis absorbance and particle size measurement it was determined that in the first hours after the generation of the dispersion there was sedimentation of a portion of the material to reach an equilibrium point in which 75 % of the particles continued in suspension.