On line construction of carbon nanotube/polytriazole composite films with high tensile and heat resistant properties

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have low densities and excellent mechanical properties due to their unique onedimensional tubular structures, and are thus considered as an ideal reinforcement for lightweight and highstrength resin-based composites. However, it is still difficult to prepare high-performance composites with a high content of well-aligned CNTs. Besides, limited by the poor heat resistance of epoxy resin, it is still challenging to prepare composites with both high strength and heat resistance. In the present study, a simple on-line process is proposed to prepare CNT/polytriazole composite films. That is, a CNT assembly just having formed in a high temperature reactor is pulled through solution containers for shrinking and resin infiltration and subsequently winded on a drum to form a composite film. By optimizing the resin content and CNT alignment for better densification and inter-binding, the tensile strength of the composite film can reach a high level of 2.52 GPa with a decent elongation of 4.3 %. Associated with the use of the polytriazole resin, the composite could be cured at a low temperature of 80 degrees C but have a high glass transition temperature of 298 degrees C. Thus, the present technique is useful for preparing high-strength composite materials which are required to be able to be cured at low temperature but applied at high temperature.