Abstract
Epoxy resin / carbon nanotubes (CNTs) nanocomposites are nowadays intensively studied in order to produce high performance materials with enhanced properties for specific applications in all activity fields, from electronics to automotive and aeronautics. In order to improve the interactions of CNTs with the polymer matrix, a functionalization of CNTs surface is often required. In this work, functionalized CNTs/epoxy nanocomposites were obtained and investigated by thermogravimetric analysis. Non-covalent functionalized CNTs with three types of surfactants were used. Activation energies of the degradation processes were calculated using Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose isoconversional method. The influence of surfactant type, functionalization mode (covalent or non-covalent) and functionalized CNTs content in composite on the activation energy as a function of the degradation conversion degree was studied. Keywords: thermal degradation, isoconversional method, carbon nanotubes