Electrospun Copolyamide Mats Modified by Functionalized Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes

In this article, we report the preparation and properties of electro‐conductive mats based on the commercial copolyamide (Vestamelt X1010) and multiwall carbon nanotubes functionalized by amino groups. Vestamelt X1010 is easily soluble in n‐propanol at room temperature up to a concentration of 18 wt%. This is a significant advantage of this system because n‐propanol is considered to be a safe and relatively environmentally friendly solvent compared with the organic solvents and acids frequently used for electrospinning of common synthetic polymers. The co‐polyamide nanofibers were modified by multiwall carbon nanotubes grafted by amino groups to enhance their electrical conductivity at low filler content. The percolation threshold was found to be 0.33 vol%. Some applications of these mats were demonstrated such as the capability for sensing a selected vapor (acetone) and for oil/water separation. It was shown that neat Vestamelt X1010 mats remove around 85 wt% of oil (100 ppm of vegetable oil dispersed in water), whereas the addition of 1 wt% of CNTs enhances this ability up to 95 wt%. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:E1451–E1460, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers