Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were melt-mixed with polyamide6 (PA6) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer (ABS) to obtain electrically conducting composites. MWNTs were noncovalently modified with sodium salt of 6-aminocaproic acid (MWNTs-m1) and 3-pyrenealdehyde (MWNTs-m2) to 'deagglomerate' MWNTs. Raman spectroscopic analysis indicated a G-band shift from ∼1581.9 cm(-1) for pristine MWNTs to ∼1590.2 cm(-1) for MWNTs-m1 and ∼1588.8 cm(-1) for MWNTs-m2, indicating the interaction between MWNTs and the respective modifier molecules. Blends showed 'co-continuous' morphology on the addition of MWNTs. TEM observations showed that a higher population of pristine MWNTs exhibited a 'nanoagglomerated' state in PA6 and ABS phases in the case of a 40/60 PA6/ABS blend, unlike a 60/40 blend, which depicted a higher population of 'individualized' MWNTs. Further, the corresponding blends with MWNTs-m1 and MWNTs-m2 showed 'nanoagglomerated' and 'individualized' MWNTs. Blends with pristine MWNTs showed an increase in DC electrical conductivity with an increase in PA6 concentration in the blend. Moreover, the corresponding blends with MWNTs-m1 and MWNTs-m2 exhibited an increased DC electrical conductivity value as compared to the corresponding blend with pristine MWNTs. Ratio of the intensity (H1/H2) of the crystallization peak at lower temperature (H1) to the intensity of the crystallization peak at higher temperature (H2) depicted lower values for blends with pristine MWNTs as compared to the corresponding blends with MWNTs-m1 and MWNTs-m2. TGA studies indicated the formation of a thicker 'interphase' involving MWNTs and the interacting polymer chains.
Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were melt-mixed in polyamide 6 (PA6) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymer blends using a simultaneous mixing protocol in order to investigate the state of dispersion of MWNTs in PA6/ABS blends. The blend composition was varied from 40/60 (wt/wt) to 60/40 (wt/wt) in PA6/ABS blends, which showed 'co-continuous' morphology in the presence of MWNTs. State of dispersion of MWNTs in these blends was assessed through bulk electrical conductivity measurements, morphological analysis, solution experiments, and UV-vis spectroscopic analysis. MWNTs were subsequently modified with a novel organic modifier, sodium salt of 6-aminohexanoic acid (Na-AHA), to improve the state of dispersion of MWNTs. Blends with unmodified MWNTs exhibited the DC electrical conductivity in the range 10 211 to 10 25 S/cm, whereas blends with Na-AHA-modified MWNTs exhibited DC electrical conductivity in the range 10 27 to 10 25 S/cm. The reduction in MWNTs 'agglomerate' size (73.7 lm for 40/ 60 blend with unmodified MWNTs to 59.9 lm in the corresponding blend with Na-AHA-modified MWNTs) was observed through morphological analysis. The rheological studies showed increased complex viscosity and storage moduli in lower frequency region in case of blends with Na-AHA-modified MWNTs confirming a refined 'networklike' structure of MWNTs. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:443-456, 2015.FIG. 4. Plot of average diameter of MWNTs 'agglomerate' versus the concentration of PA6 phase indicating the variation in the 'agglomerate' size of MWNTs in PA6/ABS blends with unmodified and with Na-AHA-modified MWNTs (5 wt%) at varied blend compositions of PA6/ABS blends with MWNTs [40/60-60/40, wt/wt].
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