posted on 2003-11-12, 00:00authored byW. Ding, A. Eitan, F. T. Fisher, X. Chen, D. A. Dikin, R. Andrews, L. C. Brinson, L. S. Schadler, R. S. Ruoff
A series of observations of polymer sheathing in multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)−polycarbonate composites are presented. This sheathing
was observed in images of the composite fracture surface and is consistent with diameter distributions of the as-received and embedded
MWCNTs. A novel nanomanipulation experiment, where the sheathing balls up when contacted by an AFM tip, confirms this phenomenon.
This sheathing layer is direct evidence of substantial MWCNT−polymer interaction and will influence the mechanical properties of MWCNT-polymer composites.