title: Dimethylformamide: an effective dispersant for making ceramic-carbon nanotube composites.
abstract: Carbon nanotube (CNT) and alumina dispersions were prepared separately in dimethylformamide (DMF) and ethanol by ultrasonication. The colloidal stability of the dispersions was monitored and a particle size analysis was performed to evaluate the size range of the agglomerates after different times. DMF was found to be a much more effective dispersant than ethanol for making stable, homogeneous CNT and composite dispersions. Alumina-CNT (4.65 vol%) nanocomposites were sintered in a spark plasma sintering (SPS) furnace. DMF dispersions produced homogeneously distributed and agglomerate-free CNT-alumina nanocomposites with higher electrical conductivity as compared to nanocomposites prepared using ethanol.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Materials Research and School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK.
authors.forename: Fawad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Inam
authors.forename: Haixue
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Reece
authors.forename: Ton
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Peijs