ABSTRACT
Alignment of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in polymer is of great importance in order to exploit their anisotropic electrical, thermal, mechanical, and optical properties in various industrial applications. Specifically, the alignment of CNTs in polymer by magnetic or electric field processing has received considerable attention, due to the capability of alignment toward various directions, a capability that conventional polymer processing cannot
CONTENTS 10.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................223 10.2 Materials and Experimental Equipment ........................................................................ 224
10.2.1 Materials .................................................................................................................. 224 10.2.2 Preparation of Dispersion .....................................................................................225 10.2.3 In Situ Optical Microscope Observation from Two Directions ....................... 226
10.3 Theory of Fiber Alignment and Rotation under Magnetic or Electric Field .............227 10.3.1 Alignment under Magnetic Field ........................................................................227 10.3.2 Alignment under Electric Field ...........................................................................227 10.3.3 Rotational Analysis under Magnetic or DC Electric Field...............................227 10.3.4 Anisotropic Properties of VGCF® from the Suspension Method ...................230
10.4 Comparison of VGCF Alignment Rate in Polymer under Magnetic or Electric Field ................................................................................................................... 231
10.5 Polymer Nanocomposite Containing VGCFs Aligned by Magnetic Field ................ 232 10.6 Polymer Nanocomposite Containing VGCFs Aligned by Electric Field ...................236
