Polymer - Graphite nanocomposites: Effective dispersion and major property enhancement via solid-state shear pulverization

The solid-state shear pulverization (SSSP) is used to produce polymer-graphite nanocomposites that are not subject to the thermodynamic/ kinetic limitations associated with conventional processes. The polymer-graphite nanocomposite hybrids are made from chemically or thermally pretreated graphite, e.g., graphite oxide, expanded graphite, or thermally exfolated graphite oxide. The study demonstrates the promise of SSSP for making well-dispersed nanocomposites and the promise of ARG for yielding major improvement in mechanical properties when dispersed in polymer at very low weight percent. The polymer-graphite nanocomposites isolates graphene sheet or a nanoplatelet consisting of a couple graphene sheets in a fully extended form but will have a wavy or wrinkled nature that provides less than optimal reinforcement. The FESEM image shows an edge-on view of a graphite nanoplatelet with ~10nm thickness while the TEM image shows a number of well-dispersed nanoplatelets with thickness ranging from several to ~10nm.