Effect of carbon nanotube additive on the structural and thermal properties of Se.sub.85Te.sub.10Ag.sub.5 glassy alloy

Carbon nanotube (CNT) additive glassy composites [(Se.sub.85Te.sub.10Ag.sub.5).sub.100-X(CNT).sub.X] (X = 0, 3 and 5) have been prepared by melt-quenching technique. The purpose of the present work was to investigate the upshot of 3 and 5 at.% CNT additive on Se.sub.85Te.sub.10Ag.sub.5 glass in regard to the structural and thermal properties. These samples have been structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) technique. Raman spectroscopy is used to study the local structural changes after CNT incorporation in Se.sub.85Te.sub.10Ag.sub.5 glassy alloy. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique has been used to study the changes in phase transformations after CNT incorporation under non-isothermal conditions at different heating rates (5, 10, 15 and 20 K min.sup.-1). The obtained results of XRD and TEM show the signature of MWCNTs, and DSC curve shows an additional relaxation, i.e. T.sub.g for 3 and 5 % CNT additive Se.sub.85Te.sub.10Ag.sub.5 samples which is not observed in pure Se.sub.85Te.sub.10Ag.sub.5 glass. There also occurs a T.sub.g in DSC curve of all three investigated samples corresponding to an intrinsic [beta]-Ag.sub.2Se phase also called solid electrolyte glass phase near 406 K (133 °C) which are in conformity with the phase identification in XRD patterns.