The influence of MXenes on the mechanical, antistatic, and heat-resistant properties of CF/PI composites

Carbon fiber (CF) and MXene were filled in polyimide (PI) to prepare the CF/MXene/PI composite by compression molding. High-resistance meter, thermal conductivity tester, and scanning electron microscope were used to study the antistatic performance, thermal performance, and mechanical performance of the CF/MXene/PI composite, and the effect of heat treatment on the composite’s mechanical properties is discussed. The results show that when the mass fractions of CF and MXene increase, the tensile strength and impact strength of CF/PI and CF/MXene/PI composites all show a trend of first increasing and then decreasing. And when the mass fractions of CF and MXene are 15% and 3%, respectively, the performance of the CF/MXene/PI composite is better. The thermal conductivity of the CF/MXene/PI composite shows an increase with increase in the mass fraction of MXene. Heat treatment affects the mechanical properties of the CF/MXene/PI composite. When the treatment temperature is >240°C, the tensile strength and impact strength of the composite do not change much.