The potential for the material property improvement through the addition of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in composite materials is often limited due to CNT agglomeration. In this work, Disperse Orange 3 (DO3) was investigated to determine its effectiveness in dispersing CNTs in a poly (lactic acid) (PLA) matrix. First, adsorption studies of DO3 onto CNTs were performed to determine the appropriate amount of DO3 to add so that the CNT surface will be nearly saturated with DO3 while limiting the excess DO3 dissolved in the polymer. The resultant improvements in the mechanical properties were determined via nanoindentation. Highly stable dispersion of CNTs in tetrahydrofuran with DO3 was observed 72 hours after sonication. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that DO3‐functionalized CNTs were able to separate and disperse well inside of the PLA matrix. Addition of DO3 to the nanocomposite resulted in an increase in the glass transition temperature and crystallinity of the composite due to the more effective dispersion of the nanofiller which serves as a nucleation agent. The CNTs treated with DO3 also increased the elastic modulus and hardness of the composite compared to neat PLA and untreated PLA‐CNT composites. From this study, DO3 was demonstrated to be an effective dispersing agent in the solvent and the PLA matrix which allowed for enhanced crystallization and improved nanomechanical properties in the resultant composite.

中文翻译：

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通过分散橙3增强PLA / CNT复合材料的成核和结晶，并相应改善纳米力学性能

通过在复合材料中添加碳纳米管（CNT）来改善材料性能的潜力通常由于CNT的团聚而受到限制。在这项工作中，对分散橙3（DO3）进行了研究，以确定其在将CNT分散在聚乳酸（PLA）基质中的有效性。首先，进行DO3在CNT上的吸附研究，以确定适当的DO3添加量，以使CNT表面几乎被DO3饱和，同时限制溶解在聚合物中的过量DO3。通过纳米压痕确定所得的机械性能改进。超声处理72小时后，观察到CNT在具有DO3的四氢呋喃中的高度稳定分散。扫描电子显微镜证实，DO3功能化的CNT能够在PLA基质内部很好地分离和分散。将DO 3添加到纳米复合物中，由于用作成核剂的纳米填料的更有效分散，导致复合材料的玻璃化转变温度和结晶度增加。与纯PLA和未处理的PLA-CNT复合材料相比，用DO3处理的CNT还提高了复合材料的弹性模量和硬度。从这项研究中，证明了DO3是溶剂和PLA基质中的有效分散剂，可增强结晶度并改善所得复合材料的纳米机械性能。与纯PLA和未处理的PLA-CNT复合材料相比，用DO3处理的CNT还提高了复合材料的弹性模量和硬度。从这项研究中，证明了DO3是溶剂和PLA基质中的有效分散剂，可增强结晶度并改善所得复合材料的纳米机械性能。与纯PLA和未处理的PLA-CNT复合材料相比，用DO3处理的CNT还提高了复合材料的弹性模量和硬度。从这项研究中，证明了DO3是溶剂和PLA基质中的有效分散剂，可增强结晶度并改善所得复合材料的纳米机械性能。