Ionic Liquids as Alternative Curing Agents for Conductive Epoxy/CNT Nanocomposites with Improved Adhesive Properties

Good dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) together with effective curing were obtained in epoxy/CNT nanocomposites (NCs) using three different ionic liquids (ILs). Compared to conventional amine-cured epoxy systems, lower electrical percolation thresholds were obtained in some of the IL-based epoxy systems. For example, the percolation threshold of the trihexyltetradecylphosphonium dicyanamide (IL-P-DCA)-based system was 0.001 wt.%. The addition of CNTs was not found to have any significant effect on the thermal or low-strain mechanical properties of the nanocomposites, but it did improve their adhesive properties considerably compared to the unfilled systems. This study demonstrates that ILs can be used to successfully replace traditional amine-based curing agents for the production of electrically conductive epoxy/CNT NCs and adhesives, as a similar or better balance of properties was achieved. This represents a step towards greater sustainability given that the vapor pressure of ILs is low, and the amount needed to effectively cure epoxy resins is significantly lower than any of their counterparts.