Abstract
Polymer nanocomposites consisting of polypropylene (PP) and low levels of as-received graphite (ARG) or carbon nanotubes (CNT) were prepared via a continuous and industrially scalable process called solid-state shear pulverization (SSSP). This novel polymer processing technique exposes polymers to high shear and compressive forces near ambient temperature, which allows for fragmentaion and fusion steps in the solid-state. We found that SSSP processing leads to excellent exfoliation and dispersion of ARG and debundling and dispersion of CNT in the PP matrix. This excellent dispersion is accompanied by major property enhancements. For example, a 97.5/2.5 wt% PP/ARG nanocomposite made by SSSP exhibits a 100% increase in tensile modulus and a 50 % increase in tensile strength relative to neat PP while retaining most of the net PP elongation at break. Similar mechanical property enhancements are achieved with 99/1 wt% PP/carbon nanotube nanocomposites.
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | Technical Proceedings of the 2012 NSTI Nanotechnology Conference and Expo, NSTI-Nanotech 2012 |
Pages | 556-559 |
Number of pages | 4 |
State | Published - Aug 20 2012 |
Event | Nanotechnology 2012: Advanced Materials, CNTs, Particles, Films and Composites - 2012 NSTI Nanotechnology Conference and Expo, NSTI-Nanotech 2012 - Santa Clara, CA, United States Duration: Jun 18 2012 → Jun 21 2012 |
Other
Other | Nanotechnology 2012: Advanced Materials, CNTs, Particles, Films and Composites - 2012 NSTI Nanotechnology Conference and Expo, NSTI-Nanotech 2012 |
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Country | United States |
City | Santa Clara, CA |
Period | 6/18/12 → 6/21/12 |
Keywords
- As-received graphite
- Carbon nanotubes
- Physical properties
- Polyproplyene
- Solid-state shear pulvierzation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ceramics and Composites
- Surfaces, Coatings and Films