Study on NH3 plasma-treated polyimide/MWNT composites on electrical and surface properties

In this work, we study the surface modification of polyimide/MWNT composites by plasma treatment. After the NH₃ plasma treatment, the surface properties of polyimide containing MWNT (U-CNT) or acid modified MWNT (M-CNT) were investigated by XPS, XRD, contact angle and electrical measurements. The surface of polyimide/MWNT composites was examined to be more hydrophilic after the NH₃ plasma treatment, which can therefore improve the surface electrical conductivity of the polyimide/MWNT composites. The XRD results further indicated that the formation of MWNT network structure in polyimide matrix impeded the motion of polyimide molecules.