Manufacturing strategy is of prime importance for the appropriate incorporation of filler into a polymeric matrix, and this in particular refers to nanofillers. Herein, direct-graphite nanoplatelets are used as filler in polystyrene. The as-received filler material contained microscopic size agglomerates formed by nanoscopic size graphite nanoplatelets. Refining of the microagglomerates (break-up) and production of, desirably, single graphene layers (exfoliation) is the ultimate target for controlling production and thus properties of the present materials. Several processing methods including microcompounding, roll-milling/calendering, Brabender mixing chamber, and solvent processing are used and compared with elongational flow mixing by a newly developed mixer. For the present system, sonication with surfactant assistance solvent processing yields both good micro deagglomeration and production of thin graphene nanostacks/layers. Also the elongational flow mixing efficiently refines the microagglomerates. Solvent processing and microcompounding are more efficient than the other processes in the production of exfoliated thin graphene stacks/layers.

Polypropylene and ethylene‐propylene‐diene terpolymer (PP/EPDM) blends were melt compounded in a new mixing device, designed in our laboratory under the trademark of RMX®, which predominantly generates elongational flows. Dispersion of the EPDM minor phase in PP was carried out in both RMX® and in an internal mixer (Haake Rheomix 600) at equivalent specific mixing energies and the resultant morphologies obtained by SEM were analyzed and compared. A better dispersive mixing efficiency of the RMX® mixer, i.e., lower Dn and Dv of the dispersed EPDM phase was observed. The impact of elongational flow was more pronounced for blends having a high viscosity ratio p, indicating an enhanced droplet break‐up mechanism, which was attributed to the combination of high shear rates inside the mixing element and important elongational flows in the convergent/divergent zones. The morphology of the blends was correlated with their linear viscoelastic properties by using the Palierne model. Very good agreement was found for the PP/EPDM 80/20 blends but for higher EPDM content, the Palierne model failed to describe the rheological behavior, which was attributed to percolation of the minor phase with increasing the concentration. Higher elasticity at low frequencies was observed for blends processed in the RMX®, which was attributed to a higher generated interfacial area. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:1444–1457, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers

Expanded graphite (EG) was added to polylactic acid (PLA) and then fully mixed in a novel elongational mixing device (RMX) to obtain PLA/EG nanocomposites. The operation of the new mixer device is based on the induced multiple passages of material (by means of reciprocating pistons) at different flow speeds through a short capillary die, thus creating convergent/divergent elongational flows. Highly homogeneous materials were obtained at all mixing conditions and particle size ranged from hundred to several hundreds of nanometers. Also, X-ray diffractograms showed different intensity of the characteristic peak of EG (3% wt/ wt EG was kept constant), suggesting partial exfoliation. Furthermore, the molecular weight of processed neat PLA samples was assessed in order to correlate the PLA degradation to morphology and reinforcement mechanisms in the nanocomposites, as a function of the RMX parameters. As well, final flow properties of neat PLA and EG compounds were obtained by dynamic rheology. Thermomechanical degradation of PLA was found to play a major role in the rheology of mixing. On the other hand, PLA nanocomposites presented a storage modulus between 20 and 40% higher than neat PLA. Finally, morphology comparison between the RMX and an internal mixer, at the same mixing energy input, demonstrated a higher dispersive mixing efficiency for the RMX. POLYM. ENG. SCI.,