Method for the preparation of a reinforced thermoset polymer composite
The present invention refers to a method for the preparation of a reinforced thermoset polymer composite, said thermoset polymer composite comprising coated fibers, the coating being used as a vehicle for the introduction of carbon nanotubes into the thermoset polymer, the preparation of said reinforced thermoset polymer composite comprising the following steps: —providing fibers; —preparing a coating comprising carbon nanotubes and a polymeric binder; —applying said coating to said fibers to obtain coated fibers; —impregnating said coated fibers with a precursor of a thermoset polymer and letting part of the carbon nanotubes transfer from the coating into the precursor of the thermoset polymer; —curing said precursor containing the coated fibers and the transferred carbon nanotubes to achieve the reinforced thermoset polymer composite.
1. A method for the preparation of a reinforced thermoset polymer composite, said thermoset polymer composite comprising coated fibres, the coating being used as a vehicle for the introduction of carbon nanotubes into the thermoset polymer, the preparation of said reinforced thermoset polymer composite comprising the following steps:
providing fibres;
preparing a coating comprising carbon nanotubes and a polymeric binder;
applying said coating to said fibres to obtain coated fibres;
impregnating said coated fibres with a precursor of a thermoset polymer and thereby letting part of the carbon nanotubes transfer from the coating into the precursor of the thermoset polymer;
curing said precursor containing the coated fibres and the transferred carbon nanotubes to achieve the reinforced thermoset polymer composite.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoset polymer comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of epoxy, vinylester, unsaturated polyester, phenolic and their blends and co-polymers.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio between the carbon nanotubes and the polymeric binder in the coating is higher than or equal to 1:9.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio between the carbon nanotubes and the polymeric binder in the coating is higher than or equal to 1:4.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio between the carbon nanotubes and the thermoset polymer in the reinforced composite is higher than 1:1000.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric binder is selected from the group consisting of aromatic poly(hydroxyl ether), polysilanes and their blends and/or co-polymers.
7. A method according to claim 6 , wherein the aromatic poly(hydroxyl ether) is a phenoxy polymer.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are dispersed in a solvent before being dispersed in the coating.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the precursor of the thermoset polymer comprises carbon nanotubes prior to impregnation.
10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fibres are selected from the group consisting of carbon, polyaramides, glass and mixture thereof.
11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fibres are selected from the group consisting of carbon fibres, glass fibres, and mixture thereof.