Fabrication and Mechanical Properties of MWNTs/Phenolic Nanocomposites

The multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were added into the phenolic resin to fabricate MWNTs/phenolic nanocomposites. The pressure and temperature were applied to cure MWNTs/phenolic compound by hot press method, then followed by a post curing process. The results showed that post-curing of the nanocomposites specimen is necessary for better mechanical properties. The temperature used for post curing should be higher than the curing temperature. The higher curing pressure improved the Young’s modulus of the nanocomposites. The tensile failure morphologies of MWNTs/phenolic nanocomposites were examined using field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) to evaluate the effects of manufacturing processes on the mechanical properties of MWNTs/phenolic nanocomposites.