Abstract This review provides valuable information about the general characteristics, processing conditions and physical properties of carbon nanotube buckypaper (BP) and its polymer composites. Vacuum filtration is the most common technique used for manufacturing BP, since the carbon nanotubes are dispersed in aqueous solution with the aid of surfactant. Previous works have reported that mechanical properties of BP prepared by vacuum filtration technique are relatively weak. On the other hand, the incorporation of polymer materials in those nanostructures revealed a significant improvement in their mechanical behavior, since the impregnation between matrix and BP is optimized. Electrical conductivity of BP/polymer composites can reach values as high as 2000 S/m, which are several orders of magnitude greater than traditional CNT/polymer composites. Also, BP can improve remarkably the thermal stability of polymer matrices, opening new perspectives to use this material in fire retardant applications.

Resumo Neste estudo, foram avaliadas as propriedades dinâmico mecânicas e a viscosidade de compósitos nanoestruturados de poli(sulfeto de fenileno) (PPS) reforçado com nanotubos de carbono de paredes múltiplas (MWCNT) obtidos através da técnica de mistura em fusão. O módulo de armazenamento (E') e a temperatura de transição vítrea (Tg) apresentaram aumentos de até 130% e 11 °C em relação ao PPS puro quando 2,0 m/m% do nanoreforço foi considerado. Além disso, para concentrações superiores a 1,0% em massa foi observado um aumento nos valores da viscosidade complexa (η*), o que sugere a formação de uma estrutura interconectada de nanotubos no interior da matriz polimérica.

Abstract In this work, dynamic mechanical properties and viscosity of multiwalled carbon nanotubes reinforced poly (phenylene sulfide) nanostructured composites obtained by melt mixing techinique were investigated. The storage modulus (E') and the glass transition temperature (Tg) showed increases up to 130% and 11 °C for concentrations of 2.0 wt% compared to neat PPS. In Addition, it was observed for concentrations above 1.0 wt% an increment of complex viscosity (η*), suggesting the formation of an interconnected nanotube structure within the polymeric matrix.