Nanomechanical Behavior of Teflon-MWCNT Bilayer Films

Teflon MWCNT suspensions have the potential for creating conductive coatings on insulating films for static dissipation. However, there are few studies on polymer MWCNT suspension properties and even fewer that use Teflon. To define mechanical and electrical property relationships in this film system, we created bilayer Teflon AF MWCNT films with differing concentrations of functionalized and nonfunctionalized MWCNTs. Nanoindentation revealed that addition of MWCNTs increased modulus while hardness remained constant. Conducting indentation showed that films with 8 w/o MWCNT exhibited uniform stable conductance once indentation depth exceeded several hundred nanometers. Films with lower concentrations of MWCNTs were insulating. In this presentation, the results will be used to show that the two techniques provide a unique description of structure property relationships in this suspension film system. This work was supported by Sandia National Laboratories, a Lockheed Martin Company for the USDOE NNSA under contract DEAC04 94AL85000.