Degradation behavior of carbon nanotubes/phenol-furfuryl alcohol multifunctional composites with aerospace application

Lightweight and highly conductive composite associated with good impact and tribological properties could be used in the aerospace industry to replace metal for an aircraft skin and still provide effective shielding against electromagnetic interference (EMI). Also, phenolfurfuryl alcohol resins (PFA) are excellent candidates to replace existing thermoset matrices used for obtaining glassy carbon, both in its pure form and reinforced with nanoscale structures. The synthesis of PFA allow obtaining a resin with better properties than that showed by conventional phenolic resins and with synthesis and cure processes more controlled than observed for the furfuryl alcohol resin. This work has as main purpose the synthesis and thermal characterization of PFA resin and its nanostructured composites with different concentrations of carbon nanotubes (0, 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 wt%). PFA resin was synthesized with 1:2:1 molar ratio of phenol/formaldehyde/furfuryl alcohol, according to the more appropriate condition obtained previously. The specimens were evaluated by thermogravimetry (TGA) to knowledge of the temperature of thermal degradation, either by actual analyses as simulated by simulation heating rate conversion software (known as Highway Simulation). The introduction of CNT in PFA sample does not affect its thermal stability. The values of residual weight found for samples with CNT additions are close to the values of the phenolic resin in the literature (about 60% residual weight).