Vinyl-ester resin (VE) is a polymer matrix frequently used in several civil applications, but its long-term properties in humid and harsh environments can be a concern. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have remarkable mechanical, physical, and thermal properties. Adding them to the resin is a promising solution and makes it possible to manufacture cost-effective products with enhanced engineering properties. Our study investigated the chemical functionalization of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) through acid oxidation to evaluate the durability-related properties of vinyl-ester-based nanocomposites. Samples containing 0.1 wt% of as-received CNTs and functionalized CNTs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), elemental analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A small amount of two dispersing agents (BYK 104S and BYK 9076) was added to the mixtures to produce high particle stability in the nanocomposites. Barrier properties and moisture diffusivity were determined by immersing samples in a water bath at 50°C. Aging was conducted by fully immersing samples in NaOH solution at 50°C. Matrix degradation was assessed with tensile tests, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) before and after conditioning. The results indicate that the addition of oxidized CNTs significantly improved the mechanical, physical, and durability properties of the composites. Additionally, unlike nanoclay-based nanocomposites, oxidized CNTs do not increase water absorption at saturation.

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碳纳米管增强乙烯基酯复合材料的吸湿性和长期性能研究

乙烯基酯树脂 (VE) 是一种经常用于多种民用应用的聚合物基体，但其在潮湿和恶劣环境中的长期性能可能令人担忧。碳纳米管（CNT）具有卓越的机械、物理和热性能。将它们添加到树脂中是一种很有前途的解决方案，可以制造具有增强工程性能的经济高效的产品。我们的研究通过酸氧化研究了多壁碳纳米管（MWCNT）的化学功能化，以评估乙烯基酯基纳米复合材料的耐久性相关性能。通过扫描电子显微镜 (SEM)、元素分析和 X 射线光电子能谱 (XPS) 对含有 0.1 wt% 原始 CNT 和功能化 CNT 的样品进行了表征。将少量的两种分散剂（BYK 104S 和 BYK 9076）添加到混合物中，以在纳米复合材料中产生高颗粒稳定性。通过将样品浸入 50°C 的水浴中测定阻隔性能和水分扩散率。将样品完全浸入 50°C 的 NaOH 溶液中进行老化。通过拉伸试验、动态机械分析 (DMA) 和差示扫描量热法 (DSC) 在调节前后评估基质降解。结果表明，氧化碳纳米管的添加显着提高了复合材料的机械、物理和耐久性能。此外，与纳米粘土基纳米复合材料不同，氧化碳纳米管不会增加饱和时的吸水率。