Grafting CNTs on carbon fabrics with enhanced mechanical and thermal properties for tribological applications of carbon fabrics/phenolic composites

To improve the tribological properties of carbon fabrics-reinforced phenolic composites, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were in situ grown on carbon fabrics by chemical vapor deposition. Results showed that the thermal conductivity and tensile strength of the CNT-modified composites were enhanced by approximately 21% and 45%, respectively, owing to the high thermal conductivity of CNTs and the improved interfacial adhesion between carbon fabrics and resin matrix. The friction coefficient of the composites modified by CNTs increased from 0.12 to 0.14, while the wear rate decreased from 3.7 × 10⁻¹⁴ m³ (N m)⁻¹ to 2.8 × 10⁻¹⁴ m³ (N m)⁻¹. CNT-grafted composites exhibited a higher friction coefficient and greater wear resistance than CNT-free composites; this can be attributed to the improved interfacial bonding of the composites by the incorporation of CNTs. Therefore, grafting CNTs on carbon fabric is an effective method to improve the thermal, mechanical, and tribological properties of carbon fabrics-reinforced phenolic composites. Most importantly, the carbon fabrics/phenolic composites reinforced by CNTs hold a great potential in producing high-performance polymer composites for tribological application.