Abstract:To enhance the physical properties of copolymer-polyamide (CO-PA), a sequence of nanocomposites based upon CO-PA and chemically reduced graphene oxide (CRGO) nanoplatelets were prepared by in-situ reduction using hydrazine hydrate. Graphene oxide (GO), prepared by the improved Hummers method, was used to fabricate CRGO nanaoplatelets. Atomic-force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that the thickness and the width of GO was about 0.9 nm and 1 μm, respectively. An abundance of oxygen-containing functional groups were introduced onto the GO sheets. XRD and SEM analysis showed that CRGO nanoplatelets were well dispersed in the CO-PA matrix with the appropriate CRGO content. TGA and DSC analysis demonstrated that CRGO nanoplatelets can significantly improve the thermal stability, glass-transition temperature, crystallization temperature of the composites. The mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were improved significantly with the appropriate increment of CRGO nanoplatelets content, though the elongation at break of the composites decreased with the increase of CRGO nanoplatelets content. The electrical conductivity test showed a significant increase in electrical conductivity from an insulator to almost a semiconductor with increasing CRGO nanoplatelets content. And at 1.0 wt% CRGO content, the electrical percolation threshold of the nanocomposites was found.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.