Calculation of Thermodynamic Stabilities of Polymer/Carbon Nanotube Composites

It is has been demonstrated that the addition of small quantities of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can dramatically improve thermal and mechanical properties of polymers [1-6]. In many cases, however, this enhancement of properties is limited by the degree to which the CNTs can be uniformly dispersed within the polymer matrix. This appears to be particularly true for flame retarding applications. In a recent work [7], Kashiwagi and co-workers demonstrated that the heat release rates from burning well-dispersed nanocomposites, consisting of single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs) in poly(methyl methacrylate), were significantly lower than those from poorly dispersed samples. Unfortunately, CNTs do not spontaneously mix with most polymers. Instead, they tend to form aggregates consisting of tens or even hundreds of discrete tubes that can become entangled in long rope-like structures [6].