Self-assembly fabrication of a graphene/multi-walled carbon nanotube hybrid material for suppressing potential heat radiation and toxic effluent

Abstract

In the study, negative graphene oxide was combined with positive chitosan-modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes in aqueous solution and then thermally reduced to fabricate a multi-walled carbon nanotube/graphene (MWCNT/G) hybrid material. The hybrid material solved the aggregation of graphene during thermal reduction, which was attributed to the dispersion of graphene in the polymer matrix. It displayed outstanding properties in suppressing heat radiation and toxic effluent that were superior to either MWCNT or graphene alone. After incorporating the hybrid into an epoxy matrix, the peak heat release rate and total heat release of MWCNT/G/EP nanocomposites decreased by 34.9% and 25.0% compared to neat epoxy. The hybrid dramatically decreased toxic effluent including hydrocarbons, CO and aromatic compounds. Finally, the possible mechanisms of suppressing heat radiation and toxic effluent were reasonably proposed.