Nanocompósitos de borracha natural e nanoestruturas de carbono visando aplicação como geradores triboelétricos

Abstract

The work presents the preparation and characterization of nanocomposites through the combination of natural rubber latex and carbon nanostructures: carbon nanotubes (NTC), reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and nanographite (Nanog), as well as the production of nanostructured triboelectric generators (TENG's) from these nanocomposites. The nanostructures were dispersed with the aid of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide surfactant (CTAB), and the role of graphene oxide (GO) as a surfactant in nanocomposites with NTC was also studied. Nanocomposites were developed using latex technology. The characterizations were performed by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) in different modes: topography, phase and electrostatic contrast, infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. The mechanical properties were analyzed by stress-strain tests. The microscopic images (SEM and AFM), indicate good distribution and adhesion of the nanostructures in the polymer, as well as the constitution of an interconnected network of the nanostructures in the matrix. Spectroscopies showed that the incorporation of nanostructures does not cause significant structural changes in the matrix. Regarding the mechanical properties, the GO used as a surfactant plays a fundamental role in improving this property. Various tribogenerator devices were prepared by combining pairs of the different samples. As for the triboelectric analyzes, it can be seen that in most samples the results of the capacitor charging were very good compared to the greater results described in the literature. In the mapping of electrostatic potential it was possible to identify the negative charges predominant in one of the samples - 2NRNTC - after friction with the NRPURA and NRCTAB matrix, both positively charged after friction, as well as in electrostatic force microscopy it was possible to observe that the electrical potential increases in 2NRNTC sample in relation to the matrix. The test was carried out on one of the devices that made it possible to light a line of low-power LEDs.