Exploring Impacts of Hyper-Branched Polyester Surface Modification of Graphene Oxide on the Mechanical Performances of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene

Abstract

In this manuscript, the graphene oxide (GO) was modified by hyper-branched polyester (HBP). The effects of GO or modified GO (HBP-m-GO) on the mechanical performance and wearing properties were investigated. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the successful grafting of HBP onto GO. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that the graft amount of HBP is calculated to be 9.6 wt%. The GO or HBP-m-GO was added into acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS) to prepare the ABS/GO composites. The mechanical properties and wear performance of the composites were studied to comparatively study the impact of GO modification on the properties of the composites. The results revealed that the addition of GO has a significant effect on the mechanical properties of ABS, and when HBP-m-GO was added, the elastic modulus and tensile strength of ABS/HBP-m-GO increased evidently compared with ABS/GO. The tensile strength increased from 42.1 ± 0.6 MPa of pure ABS to 55.9 ± 0.9 MPa, up to 30%. Meanwhile, the elongation at break was significantly higher than ABS/GO to 20.1 ± 1.3%, slightly lower than that of pure ABS. For wear performance, the addition of raw GO decreased the friction coefficient, and when the HBP-m-GO was added, the friction coefficient of the ABS/HBP-m-GO dropped more evidently. Meanwhile, the weight loss during the wear test decreased evidently. The related mechanism was discussed.

Enhancing the Strength of Acrylonitrile–Butadiene–Styrene with Gas-Phase-Synthesized Graphene for Injection-Molding Applications

“…Studies into ABS−matrix GNCs have shown that chemical surface treatments to bind ABS to the surfaces of graphene can increase the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites. 7,[10][11][12][13]16,17 Unimpeded movements of unbound polymer chains around flat and nonfunctionalized GNP flakes could explain the marginal reinforcement of ABS by GNP. GSG also does not have functionalities that can bind polymer chains to its surface because it has a mass composition of 98.9% C and 1.0% H. 22 The movement of polymer chains around the many crumples of GSG may have required higher applied forces than those in flat GNP flakes.…”

“…Graphene is a single layer of covalently bonded carbon atoms with remarkable mechanical properties that can be harnessed to strengthen polymers. − Graphene-filled polymer-matrix nanocomposites (GNCs) continue to generate extraordinary interest in the scientific community, as evidenced by the thousands of reports on the topic that were published over the last three years alone (Figure S1). Research into GNCs has been facilitated by the wide availability of graphene manufactured through the exfoliation of graphite (Figure S1) such as graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (RGO), and graphene nanoplatelets (GNP).…”

“…ABS–GSG nanocomposites exhibited an average stress at break that was 19.0% higher than that of pure ABS (Figure b), which indicates that GSG continuously reinforced ABS until the specimens fractured. The drastic increase in the strength of ABS with a GSG content of only 0.1 wt % was an unexpected result because filler loadings of at least 1.0 wt % are generally required to achieve similar improvements in ABS containing GO, RGO, or GNP. ,,− The surprising strength of ABS–GSG nanocomposites motivated an investigation into the relationships between filler structure, filler–matrix interfaces, and tensile properties of ABS–GNP and ABS–GSG nanocomposites.…”

“…Enhancing the strength-to-weight ratio of acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) can significantly benefit society because the engineering thermoplastic is widely used in the injection molding manufacturing of automotive parts, aircraft components, and consumer electronic devices. − The mechanical properties of ABS have been enhanced by reinforcing the plastic with GO, RGO, and GNP. − However, graphene flakes derived from graphite have several drawbacks that have limited the performance of the nanomaterials in polymers, including defects, multiple graphene layers, and a propensity to aggregate and restack in polymer matrices. ,− ,, Exfoliating bulk graphite into graphene powder also typically requires hazardous chemicals that give rise to liquid waste that is detrimental to the environment, ,,, which makes the sustainable mass production of GNCs a challenge. High-quality and aggregation-resistant graphene sheets created through environmentally friendly processes are still needed for the large-scale manufacturing of injection-molded GNCs.…”

“…Additionally, the movement of polymer chains around the GSG may have been impeded by crumples in the sheets. Studies into ABS–matrix GNCs have shown that chemical surface treatments to bind ABS to the surfaces of graphene can increase the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites. ,− ,, Unimpeded movements of unbound polymer chains around flat and nonfunctionalized GNP flakes could explain the marginal reinforcement of ABS by GNP. GSG also does not have functionalities that can bind polymer chains to its surface because it has a mass composition of 98.9% C and 1.0% H .…”