Influence of carbon nanofiber content and surface treatment on mechanical properties of vinyl ester

This paper discusses the effects of carbon nanofiber surface treatment (purification and chemical functionalization) and carbon nanofiber volume fraction on mechanical properties of thermoset vinyl ester polymer nanocomposites under tensile and flexural loadings. Highly graphitic carbon nanofibers were surface treated by addition of functional groups to their surface, which provided a stronger composite as compared to conventional composites due to better bonding of the fibers to the polymer matrix. It was found that addition of up to 1 wt.% functionalized carbon nanofibers provided increases in mechanical properties over the addition of higher volume fraction of carbon nanofibers. © Smithers Rapra Technology, 2008