Title
Fabrication and characterization of cellulose/CNT nanocomposite papers
Authors
M. KHODAEI A. EBRAHIMIAN PIRBAZARI and A. TALEBIZADEH

Received July 27, 2016
Published Volume 51 Issue 7-8 July-August
Keywords nanocomposites, cellulose, carbon nanotube, surfactant, properties, mechanism

Abstract
In this research, cellulose/carbon nanotube (CNT) nanocomposites were prepared by a papermaking process. The nanocomposites containing different amounts (1-7 wt%) of CNTs were obtained from Kraft pulp. An anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was used for CNTs dispersion. Bleached Kraft pulp was dispersed in water. Cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), was used as fixer. The structural, electrical and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and using a Keithly microprobe (current-voltage measurement system). The obtained results showed that the electrical conductivity of handmade nanocomposite papers changed from 5×10-11 to 5×10-7 S/m for 1-7 wt% of CNTs. The effect of CNT amounts were studied on different properties, such as tensile, tear and burst indices. The tensile, bursting and tearing strengths of the nanocomposites decreased when the added amount of CNTs was increased. This phenomenon can be explained through the role of CNTs in diminishing the strong intra-molecular attraction between the cellulose chains. Thus, it reduced the tensile strength of the prepared nanocomposites by weakening the hydrogen bonds among cellulose chains.