title: Synthesis of polymer-derived ceramic Si(B)CN-carbon nanotube composite by microwave-induced interfacial polarization.
abstract: We demonstrate synthesis of a polymer-derived ceramic (PDC)-multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite using microwave irradiation at 2.45 GHz. The process takes about 10 min of microwave irradiation for the polymer-to-ceramic conversion. The successful conversion of polymer coated carbon nanotubes to ceramic composite is chemically ascertained by Fourier transform-infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and physically by thermogravimetric analysis and transmission electron microscopy characterization. Frequency dependent dielectric measurements in the S-Band (300 MHz to 3 GHz) were studied to quantify the extent of microwave-CNT interaction and the degree of selective heating available at the MWCNT-polymer interface. Experimentally obtained return loss of the incident microwaves in the specimen explains the reason for heat generation. The temperature-dependent permittivity of polar molecules further strengthens the argument of internal heat generation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bhandavat
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mansfield
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lehman
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Singh