Description:
The mechanical properties of phenolic resin reinforced with three different carbon materials were investigated experimentally. The carbon materials: (1) commercially produced carbon nanotubes (CNTs), (2) flash-heated lignocellulose containing CNTs and carbon-black, and (3) cyclically oxidized lignocellulose (Goodell, B. et al. (2008). Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 8: 2472-2474) were added to phenolic resin in different weight percentages to fabricate composites. Carbon nanotubes were found to be an effective reinforcing filler increasing tensile strength by 45.34% and Young’s modulus by 19.08% with a 2% loading. The flash-heated material increased Young’s modulus by 11.04% with a 2% loading but did not affect tensile strength. The cyclically heated material did not contain CNTs, their inclusion in the composites reduced Young’s modulus and, for the 1% loading, reduced tensile strength as well.