Abstract
Owing to their outstanding thermal, electric conductivity and mechanical strength, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), discovered in early 1990’s, have drawn much attention in recent years and become an hot issue in nanotechnology. Study reveals that CNTs can combine with various materials to form composites, such as polymers and oxides. Epoxy has a low volume contraction after curing and form conductive composites with CNTs at low filling fraction. Study here focuses on electro-thermal properties of composites made from epoxy and multi-walled CNTs and results indicate that composites can be used as resistive elements. We then introduce composites into building materials to create heating system embedded in floor timber and floor cement. Results show that composites loaded floors display a greater heating rate, lower cooling rate (i.e. a greater heat preservation), lower temperature gradient (i.e. uniform dispersion of temperature) and lower cost compared with existing devices using resistive filaments and circulating hot water.