Improved mechanical and thermal properties of carbon fiber/epoxy composites with a matrix modified by montmorillonite/carbon fillers

Montmorillonite and carbon (MMT/C) nanofillers was prepared by a hydrothermal method using montmorillonite as the template, chitosan as the carbon source, and were then dispersed in an epoxy resin (EP) to prepare carbon fiber (CF/(MMT/C-EP)) composites by a hot pressing method. Results indicated that when the mass ratio of chitosan to MMT was 0.5, the thermal conductivity, flexural strength and elastic modulus of the composite reach maxima, corresponding to increases of 78.7, 13.4 and 20.4%, respectively, compared with those without a nanofiller. These improvements are ascribed to an improved dispersion of the nanofiller in EP and stronger interface bonding between the fillers and the EP.