Effect of Carbon Nanoparticles on Properties of Polyetherimide Fibers

Abstract

In the present work, fibers based on heat-resistant amorphous polyimide brand Ultem-1000 were prepared by melt extrusion. Vapor-grown carbon nanofibers (VGCFs) and single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were used to increase the mechanical characteristics of the polymer fibers. The fibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermophysical and mechanical tensile analysis. SEM study revealed very good distribution of the carbon nanofillers throughout the polyimide fiber volume. The mechanical testing of the unoriented nanocomposite fibers showed that the introduction of VGCFs or SWCNTs led to an increase in tensile strength and modulus. High-temperature drawing allows obtaining polyimide nanocomposite fibers with significantly increased mechanical properties (»300 MPa for strength and »4.6 GPa for modulus).