Hyperbranched polyol/carbon nanofiber composites

Carbon nanofiber (CNF) and carbon nanotube (CNT) composites have enhanced mechanical and electrical properties that make these composites desirable for antistatic and electronic dissipation technology. These applications require a homogenous dispersion of CNFs within a polymer matrix. To improve the compatibility/dispersability of CNFs within a polymer matrix, a hyperbranched polyol CNF composite was synthesized by the chemical modification of oxidized CNFs with glycidol and boron trifluoride diethyl etherate. The resulting polyol CNFs were characterized by TGA, FTIR, TEM/SEM and XPS. The hydroxyl groups were reacted with heptafluorobutyryl chloride to determine the amount of oxidized groups in the sample. The resulting composite was characterized by FTIR and elemental analysis. The amount of hydroxyl groups increased by 550% for the polyol CNFs as compared to the oxidized CNFs and an improvement in dispersion ability was observed.