Electrically conductive composites based on TiO2 and carbon nanostructures manufactured using 3D printing of CJP technology

Abstract

The mechanical mixtures of titanium oxide (TiO2) with carbon nanostructures for 3D printing of CJP technology, which are used as consumables for the manufacturing of electrically conductive composite 3D products, are created in this work. Various carbon nanostructures (single- and multi-walled carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers) were used in the creation of composite 3D products (TiO2–СNS) by CJP 3D printing technology. Optimal conditions for processing of mechanical mixtures (TiO2/MWCNT) on a planetary ball mixer for composite 3D products (CJP) were studied and proposed. The dose of the deformation influence on the mechanical mixture under optimal conditions of mechanochemical processing (76 J/g), which allows not to deteriorate the electrical conductivity of the material, is determined. The dependence of the electrical conductivity of composite 3D products (CNS/TiO2, where the CNS content is 3 wt. %) on the type of carbon nanostructures (SWCNT, MWCNT and CNF) contained in ceramics (TiO2), is constructed. The exponential dependence of the specific electrical conductivity (G) of composite 3D products (TiO2–MWCNT) on the mass content of multi-walled carbon nanotubes, is also recorded in the work. In the framework of the study of the electrical conductivity of composite 3D products (CJP), a fuel cell cathode based on a Pt/TiO2–MWCNT composite was created. It was found that the catalyst Pt/TiO2–MWCNT, which contains 5 wt. % of carbon nanotubes, has the best catalytic activity in oxygen recovery. At the same time, the average particle size of platinum (Pt) is 5–10 nm, while the content of Pt in the EDX samples is approximately ~10 wt. %. Also, studies were carried out from the mixing of Pt/TiO2-MWCNT composites with MWCNT content 15 and 50 wt. %. Samples were analyzed by transmission and scanning electron microscopy.