Films, Buckypapers and Fibers from Clay, Chitosan and Carbon Nanotubes

The mechanical and electrical characteristics of films, buckypapers and fiber materials from combinations of clay, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and chitosan are described. The rheological time-dependent characteristics of clay are maintained in clay–carbon nanotube–chitosan composite dispersions. It is d...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Marc in het Panhuis, Holly Warren, Thomas M. Higgins
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2011-04-01
Series:Nanomaterials
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/1/1/3
Description
Summary:The mechanical and electrical characteristics of films, buckypapers and fiber materials from combinations of clay, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and chitosan are described. The rheological time-dependent characteristics of clay are maintained in clay–carbon nanotube–chitosan composite dispersions. It is demonstrated that the addition of chitosan improves their mechanical characteristics, but decreases electrical conductivity by three-orders of magnitude compared to clay–CNT materials. We show that the electrical response upon exposure to humid atmosphere is influenced by clay-chitosan interactions, i.e., the resistance of clay–CNT materials decreases, whereas that of clay–CNT–chitosan increases.
ISSN:2079-4991