title: The role of carbon nanofiber defects on the electrical and mechanical properties of CNF-based resins.
abstract: Heat treatment of carbon nanofibers has proven to be an effective method in removing defects from carbon nanofibers, causing a strong increase in their structural perfection and thermal stability. It affects the bonding states of carbon atoms in the nanofiber structure and causes a significant transformation in the hybridization state of the bonded carbon atoms.Nanofilled resins made of heat-treated CNF show significant increases in their electrical conductivity even at low concentrations. This confirms that enhancement in the perfection of the fiber structure with consequent change in the morphological features plays a prominent role in affecting the electrical properties. Indeed heat-treated CNFs display a stiff structure and a smooth surface which tends to lower the thickness of the unavoidable insulating epoxy layer formed around the CNF which, in turn, plays a fundamental role in the electrical transport properties along the conducting clusters. This might be very beneficial in terms of electrical conductivity but might have negligible effect on the mechanical properties.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università di Salerno, Via Ponte Don Melillo, I-84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy. lguadagno@unisa.it
authors.forename: Liberata
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guadagno
authors.forename: Marialuigia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raimondo
authors.forename: Vittoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vittoria
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vertuccio
authors.forename: Khalid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lafdi
authors.forename: Biagio
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: De Vivo
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lamberti
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Spinelli
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tucci