The surface treatment effects of reinforcement filler were investigated based on the dynamic mechanical properties of mutiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/epoxy composites. The as-received MWCNTs(R-MWCNTs) were chemically modified by direct oxyfluorination method to improve the dispersibility and adhesiveness with epoxy resins in composite system. In order to investigate the induced functional groups on MWCNTs during oxyfluorination, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used. The thermo-mechanical property of MWCNTs/epoxy composite was also measured based on effects of oxyfluorination treatment of MWCNTs. The storage modulus of MWCNTs/epoxy composite was enhanced about 1.27 times through oxyfluorination of MWCNTs fillers at 25℃. The storage modulus of oxyfluorinated MWCNTs (OF73-MWCNTs) reinforced epoxy composite was much higher than that of R-MWCNTs/epoxy composite. It revealed that oxygen content led to the efficient carbon-fluorine covalent bonding during oxyfluorination. These functional groups on surface modified MWCNTs induced by oxyfluorination strikingly made an important role for the reinforced epoxy composite.

In order to investigate functional groups on the surface of Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) induced by oxyfluorination, XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) analysis was carried out. All core level spectra of MWCNTs were deconvoluted to several Pseudo-Voigt functions (sum of Gaussian-Lorentzian functions). Both O1s and F1s binding energy of oxyfluorinated MWCNTs shifted high value as increment of fluorine mixing ratio. The carbon-fluorine covalent bonding concentration increased as increment of fluorine mixing ratio. The shape and intensity of OF10-MWCNTs are similar with those of as-received MWCNTs. However, the intensity and binding energies of main peak position of OF20-MWCNTs and OF30-MWCNTs were dramatically increased by oxyfluorination.