Abstract:
The superaligned carbon nanotube (SACNT) film/silicone composites with different carbon nanotube layers were made by the method of direct infiltration. Thorough this method, the carbon nanotube can be homogenously embedded in the surface of silicone matrix. The electrical and mechanical properties of the SACNT film/silicone composites along different directions were tested, and the factors that affect the electrical conductivity and mechanical properties were investigated. The SACNT film/silicone composites show an inspiring anisotropic electrical and mechanical properties, and the properties increase along with the increasing layer number of the SACNT film. The resistivity of the composite along the CNT aligned direction is about one order of magnitude larger than that along the perpendicular direction. For the composite with 240 CNT film layers, the Young's modulus along the CNT aligned direction is 116.9 MPa (142 times larger than the pure silicone matrix) while only 1.23 MPa (50.0% improvement) is got along perpendicular direction, and the difference between them is about 100 times. SACNT film/silicone composites with different parameters can be chosen to meet the proper conductivity and the Young's modulus for the practical applications.