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Carbon nanotube-reinforced epoxy composites in seawater: effect of amino-functionalization and post-curing process‬

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Abstract

Due to their extraordinary properties, functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been added to epoxy matrices. In the marine industry, CNT/epoxy composite is applied in current turbines to obtain energy. For this, it is fundamental to understand the nanocomposites’ seawater absorption process. Therefore, this work aims to study how amino-functionalized CNTs and epoxy’s post-cure reaction influences the nanocomposites’ seawater absorption. The nanocomposites were prepared with ethylenediamine functionalized CNTs (0.25 wt%). Part of the samples was exposed to a post-cure treatment and artificial seawater for 504 days, accompanied by mass measurement. Then, the percentage of water absorbed throughout the period was obtained, and the post-cured samples absorbed the highest water amount, as well as showed the highest values of the glass transition temperature. The action of water as a plasticizer or pseudo-curing agent was observed by luminescence spectroscopy. Additionally, the three-point bending test showed that the highest modulus of elasticity was presented by the post-cured nanocomposites exposed to water, which also presented fracture with little plastic deformation, while the equivalent sample without the presence of CNT showed significant plastic deformation. Thus, since the marine industry requires materials with high bending forces, the amino-CNT/epoxy nanocomposites are suitable for this application.

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Data availability

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP, grants #00/03186-8, #2012/15930-0, #2019/13723-7) and the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq, grants #432296/2018-2, #155963/2014-7, #154974/2015-3). The authors also would like to thank the Laboratory of New Concept in Aeronautics (LNCA/ITA), the Department of Materials and Processes (ITA) and the Institute of Aeronautics and Space (IAE/DCTA) for collaboration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering Division - Aeronautics Institute of Technology, Praça Marechal Eduardo Gomes, 50 - Vila das Acácias, São José Dos Campos/SP, Brazil

    Rita de Cássia Mendonça Sales-Contini

  2. College of Technology São José dos Campos- Professor Jessen Vidal, Centro Paula Souza, Av. Cesare Mansueto Giulio Lattes, 1350 - Eugênio de Melo, São José dos Campos/SP, Brazil

    Rita de Cássia Mendonça Sales-Contini

  3. Fundamental Sciences Division - Aeronautics Institute of Technology, Praça Marechal Eduardo Gomes, 50 - Vila das Acácias, São José Dos Campos/SP, Brazil

    Luciana De Simone Cividanes, Thais Cardoso de Oliveira, Tiago Moreira Bastos Campos, Gilmar Patrocínio Thim & Deborah Dibbern Brunelli

  4. Center for Special Technologies - National Institute for Space Research, Av. Dos Astronautas, 1758 - Jardim da Granja, São José Dos Campos/SP, Brazil

    Evaldo José Corat

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  1. Rita de Cássia Mendonça Sales-Contini
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  2. Luciana De Simone Cividanes
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Correspondence to Rita de Cássia Mendonça Sales-Contini.

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Sales-Contini, R.M., De Simone Cividanes, L., de Oliveira, T.C. et al. Carbon nanotube-reinforced epoxy composites in seawater: effect of amino-functionalization and post-curing process‬. J Polym Res 30, 381 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-023-03749-9

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