Crystallization and mechanical properties of functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes/polyvinylidene fluoride composites

Single-walled carbon nanotubes were purified and functionalized by nitric acid and octadecylamine. Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the functionalization of the single-walled carbon nanotubes.
Polyvinylidene flouride nanocomposites containing 1 wt% purified or functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes were prepared by solution blending and injection molding. The dispersion of different carbon nanotubes in dimethylformamide
and in polyvinylidene flouride has been investigated. Mechanical properties show that adding single-walled carbon nanotubes could improve the tensile properties when the dispersion is good.