Eco‐friendly produced lightweight structural graphene/polyamide 12 nanocomposite: Mechanical performance and the controlling microstructural mechanisms

Abstract

The present study explores the potential use of graphene nanoplatelets (GL‐GNPs), synthesized from glucose through a new chemical approach that is facile, economical, and eco‐friendly alternative to the conventional Hummer's method, as a nanoreinforcement in polymers for the production of light‐weight structural polymer nanocomposites. Understanding the interface character of GL‐GNPs/Polyamide 12 (PA12) nanocomposites with various nanofiller loadings and how this affects their tensile behavior, are focal points of interest. Results reveal that enhancements in polymer stiffness and strength are superior at low GL‐GNPs content than higher contents. This is attributed to higher degree of GL‐GNPs exfoliation and increased polymer phase crystallinity. Interestingly, abundant small/imperfect PA12 crystallites have grown on the GL‐GNPs surface, strongly interlinking thus the polymer and graphene phases within nanocomposites. The intensity of such crystallites in interface region is the determinant of the nanocomposites' Young's modulus, assessed at small applied tensile stress. While the GL‐GNPs‐PA12 interfacial bonding is the determinant of yield and ultimate strengths, estimated at medium and high stress levels. Overall, the 1 wt% GL‐GNPs/PA12 nanocomposite is considered the optimum. Its low density and good mechanical performance among the previously developed graphene/Polyamide nanocomposites, propose promising future for GL‐GNPs‐based nanocomposites as ecofriendly and cost‐effective lightweight structural material. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 58:1201–1212, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers

High‐Performance and Biobased Polyamide/Functionalized Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites through In Situ Polymerization for Engineering Applications

“…[ 30,31 ] A decrease in the free volume of polymer chains caused by the presence of FGO, and a consequent restriction of movement of polymer chains that could not rearrange and form crystals comfortably, was reported as another reason for reducing crystallinity upon addition of FGO. [ 10,29,32 ] However, the degree of crystallinity increased at 3% loading of FGO, probably due to the higher free volume caused by the fillers’ aggregation. Eventually, the crystallization temperature did not change remarkably over FGO loading (Figure 5c), while the crystallization enthalpy decreased significantly, indicating a slower crystallization rate in nanocomposite than in pure PA. [ 10,33 ]…”

“…Among various nanofillers, graphene is one of the most promising owing to its high Young's modulus, carrier mobility, thermal and electrical conductivity, and specific surface area. [ 10–12 ] High‐performance PA/graphene nanocomposite leads to user‐friendly end products for a wide range of applications, including fuel cells, supercapacitors, energy devices, automobiles, electronics, solar cell, gas detection, functional conducting electrodes for technical use, lithium‐ion batteries, and so on. [ 13 ]…”

Glucose‐Derived N‐Doped Graphitic Carbon: Facile One‐Pot Graphitic Structure‐Controlled Chemical Synthesis with Comprehensive Insight into the Controlling Mechanisms

“…[1][2][3] Attractive applications include mainly electronics besides catalysis, sensors, [4] water purification, [5] lightweight structures. [6] Despite these excellent properties of pristine graphene, it is not ready for developing advanced tunable electronic devices because of several drawbacks, including the zero-band gap due to the contact between the conduction and valence bands at the Dirac point as well as the difficulty in scaling-up production while maintaining premium quality. [3,7] Chemical doping of graphene with heteroatoms like boron, hydrogen, nitrogen and phosphorus can effectively generate a significant band gap into its electronic structure by shifting the Fermi level beneath or atop the Dirac point.…”

“…Graphene has emerged as one of the foremost prominent materials for widespread technological applications, since its discovery in 2004, because of its superb properties such as large surface area, great mechanical properties, exceptional thermal and electrical conductivities, fast charge carrier mobility and high specific capacitance and optical transparency [1–3] . Attractive applications include mainly electronics besides catalysis, sensors, [4] water purification, [5] lightweight structures [6] . Despite these excellent properties of pristine graphene, it is not ready for developing advanced tunable electronic devices because of several drawbacks, including the zero‐band gap due to the contact between the conduction and valence bands at the Dirac point as well as the difficulty in scaling‐up production while maintaining premium quality [3,7] …”

Synthesis and properties of fluorinated graphene oxide bisphenol a epoxy nanocomposites

“…Among these fillers, graphene, and its derivatives (graphene oxide [GO] and functionalized GO) had been extensively researched in the past decade. Scientists favored GO and its derivatives because of its excellent mechanical properties, good thermal stability, high surface area, good electrical properties, and low production cost . The incorporation of low filler content of GO increased the properties of epoxy composites.…”