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Polymers!!! Nanotubes!!!. Matt Montgomery Kris Behler, Mentor Dr. Yuri Gogotsi, Advisor. Method. Electrospin polymer + nanotube. Objective. Electrically conductive micro-fibers. Electrospinning. http://www.che.vt.edu/Wilkes/electrospinning/Slide1.JPG. Concentrations .
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Polymers!!!Nanotubes!!! Matt Montgomery Kris Behler, Mentor Dr. Yuri Gogotsi, Advisor
Method • Electrospin polymer + nanotube Objective • Electrically conductive micro-fibers
Electrospinning http://www.che.vt.edu/Wilkes/electrospinning/Slide1.JPG
Concentrations • Polymer (≤ 30%) • Solvent (≥ 70%) • Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes (≈ 0.1% to 0.02%)
PVDF pellets Polymer: • (PVDF= Polyvinylidene-fluoride) Solvent: • (DMA = Dimethyl-aniline) • (DMF = Dimethyl-formamide) Our solutions
Catalysts • Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Average diameter between 10 and 20 nanometers TEM image Computer model of MWCNT www.thomas-swan.co.uk/ pages/nano_images.html
Problems • Solubility of PVDF • Viscosity / Solidification • Nanotube dispersal
Fiber Collection plate (copper plate with aluminum foil wrapped over it) Heat lamps to keep solution from solidifying Our electrospinningapparatus
Fibers • Do they contain carbon nanotubes? • Are they more conductive? More of our fibers Our electrospun fibers
Raman Spectroscopy Standard carbon nanotube signature
Carbon nanotubes successfully embedded in PVDF! Raman Spectra shows characteristic peaks • 1330 cm-1 D-band • 1430 cm-1 PVDF peak • 1584 cm-1G-Band λ = 633 nm, 500x mag, 500sec Slide courtesy of Kris Behler