Carbon nanotubes have been shown to be excellent nano size filler material in dozens of different matrices. They possess many physical features that make them almost optimal for this purpose including high electrical conductivity, mechanical strength and thermal conductivity. There is however one property that makes nanotubes challenging to use; they typically come in aggregates which have high internal binding energies. Therefore, in order to generate evenly distributed dispersions, one need to use high shear forces and sometimes chemical modification of the tubes. These process conditions can cause changes in an integrity of the tubes themselves and inhibit the matrix-filler and filler-filler interactions diminishing the improvements in physical properties.
Main objectives of Pasi Keinänen’s thesis were to answer how the development of the dispersion quality of aqueous nanotube colloids used to manufacture nanocomposites can be optimized and monitored during sonication assisted dispersion, how the dispersion quality affects the properties of the nanocomposites, and how the properties can be further improved after composite have already been prepared.
The doctoral dissertation of Msc Pasi Keinänen in the field of Materials Science titled “The Effect of Dispersion Quality of Carbon Nanotube Colloids on Physical Properties of Nanocomposite” will be publicly examined in the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences at Tampere University in the auditorium SA203 of Sähkötalo building, Korkeakoulunkatu 3, Tampere on the 30th of October, at 13 o’clock. The Opponents will be Associate Professor Grzegorz Celichowski from University of Lodz, Poland and Senior Scientist Jani Pelto from VTT Technical Research of Finland Ltd., Finland. The Custos will be Professor Jyrki Vuorinen, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Tampere University.
The dissertation is available online at https://trepo.tuni.fi/handle/10024/123410
The public can follow the event via remote connection.