posted on 2024-01-23, 18:38authored byMing Dong, Oliver Tomes, Aaron Soul, Yi Hu, Emiliano Bilotti, Han Zhang, Dimitrios G. Papageorgiou
Herein we present
the transformative effects of multiwall carbon
nanotube (MWCNT)-MXene hybrid nanofillers on the mechanical, electrical,
and piezoresistive properties of the resulting epoxy nanocomposites.
The utilization of the MWCNT-MXene hybrids significantly improves
the dispersion of fillers within the epoxy matrix, effectively eliminating
the agglomeration of individual fillers and improving the stress transfer
efficiency. With just 1 wt % MWCNT-MXene hybrid, we observed improvements
in the Young’s modulus and the flexural modulus, which increased
by 31 and 28%, respectively, when compared to neat epoxy. Furthermore,
the fracture toughness of these composites was 84.5% higher than that
of neat epoxy, primarily attributed to crack deflection and filler
debonding mechanisms. The hybrid composites exhibited increased piezoresistive
sensitivity during tensile, flexural, and fracture tests due to the
creation of a percolating network of MWCNT and MXene nanoplatelets.
Our findings have implications for the development of advanced hybrid
materials, holding promise for applications in strain sensors and
self-sensing structures.