Characterization and mechanical properties of exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets reinforced polyethylene terephthalate/polypropylene composites

Abstract

Recently, graphene and its derivatives have been used to develop polymer composites with improved or multifunctional properties. Exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (GNP) reinforced composite materials based on blend of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polypropylene (PP) compatibilized with styrene–ethylene–butylene–styrene‐g‐maleic anhydride is prepared by melt extrusion followed by injection molding. Characterization of the composites' microstructure and morphology was conducted using field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Tensile and impact strengths of test specimens were evaluated and the results showed maximum values at 3phr GNP in both the cases. Morphological studies showed that the GNPs were uniformly dispersed within the matrix. Results from XRD analysis showed uniformly dispersed GNPs, which may not have been substantially exfoliated. FTIR spectroscopy did not show any significant change in the peak positions to suggest definitive chemical interaction between GNP and the matrix. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40582.

Mechanical and thermal properties of SEBS‐g‐MA compatibilized halloysite nanotubes reinforced polyethylene terephthalate/polycarbonate/nanocomposites

“…This result indicates that 15 phr is the optimum amount of SEBS ‐g‐ MA that can be added into the PET/PC/HNTs nanocomposites. In a related study, Inuwa et al . observed that 10 phr SEBS ‐g‐ MA is the optimum concentration for the effective compatibilization of PET/PP in PET/PP/GNP nanocomposites.…”

Mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of graphene reinforced polycarbonate/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene nanocomposites

“…For PC/ABS blend, T 10 5 408, T 50 5 448, and T 80 5502 C, while for PC/ABS nanocomposite with 3 wt% GNPs content were increased to 424, 479, and 714 C, respectively. Even when the amount of GNPs was only 1 wt%, the T 10 temperature increased up to 20 C. The results are in agreement with previous work by Villar-Rodil et al [56] on poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/GNPs nanocomposites, which showed that the presence of the GNPs improved the thermal stability of the polymer, as the degradation process is shifted to higher temperatures by around 10 C with 1 wt% GNPs loading and the degradation rate became slower. The data analysis clearly shows two decomposition temperatures (DTG) for nanocomposites.…”

Flammability and thermal properties of polycarbonate /acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene nanocomposites reinforced with multilayer graphene

“…Graphene have begun to be explored to improve the flammability properties of various polymer systems. For example, GNP has been used as intumescent flame retardant in Polycarbonate nanocomposite [27], polyethylene terephthalate (PET)polypr/opylene (PP) blend [28], polyisocyanurate (PIR)/polyurethane (PU) [29] and high-density rigid polyurethane (RPU) [30] with an overall improvement of the fire behavior and no worsening of the mechanical properties. The addition of GNP, even at low concentration level (usually less than 5%), into a polymeric matrix can significantly improve polymer properties such as flammability, thermal behavior, mechanical properties, electrical conductivity and gas barrier properties [31][32][33][34][35].…”