Full on-line preparation of polymer composites reinforced with aligned carbon nanotubes

Abstract Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) reinforced composite materials have been widely studied, but the long-standing technical issues with poor dispersion, low CNT content, and low CNT alignment remain to be solved. In this study, a CNT/polymer composite material is prepared by continuously winding a highly aligned CNT assembly with the polymer resin introduced and cured on-line. CNTs are mixed with the resin at the molecular level, and their alignment is maintained. Effects of critical experimental parameters such as winding rate, curing temperature, and curing time are studied. Under optimal conditions, the composite material with a high CNT content of 65 wt% exhibits a high tensile strength of 751 MPa and elongation at break of 6%. All the preparation processes are completed in air and on line without any post off-line processing as involved in previous conventional techniques. Therefore, this study provides a new strategy for manufacturing cost-effective composite materials in large scale and structural components of different sizes for wide applications.