Furan‐Based Bionanocomposites Reinforced with a Hybrid System of Carbon Nanofillers

Abstract

For several decades, polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) have received the interest of the scientific community and industry. [1,2] PNCs can be described as a system consisting of two or more phases, with one or more dispersed phases in the nanoscale within the polymer matrix phase. [3,4] It is possible to improve the thermal, mechanical, barrier, electrical, and biological properties of a polymer matrix with a small addition of a nanofiller. Several factors affect the improvement in properties: the particle size, the degree of surface development, and the distribution of nanoparticles in the polymer matrix. [5] Carbon-based Nanomaterials can be classified according to the number of dimensions they display on the nanoscale: 1D fibers such as carbon nanofibers (CNFs); 2D platelets, for example, graphene and layered silicate; and 3D particles like spherical silica, semiconductor nanoclusters, and quantum dots. [6][7][8] CNFs have excellent mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. The tensile strength and Young's modulus of CNF are in the range of 1.5-7 and 228-724 GPa, respectively. [9] The range of these values varies depending on processing methods and fiber diameter. The graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) are 2D carbon-based nanoparticles with a plate-like shape. Adding GNPs to a polymer matrix generally increases the value of barrier properties, thermal conductivity, and mechanical properties. The value of Young's modulus was reported to be 1.1 TPa, and the tensile strength was 125 GPa for GNPs. [10] Moreover, hybrid polymer composites are growing in popularity in the scientific community. These composites are obtained by adding at least two nanofillers to the polymeric matrix, which can achieve a synergistic effect that improves thermal, mechanical, barrier, and electrical properties.However, it is not only the type of nanoparticles that determines the properties of PNCs, but also the polymer matrix. Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are a class of materials that combine the mechanical properties of elastomers and the processing properties of thermoplastics. [11] This is because of their morphology, which can be divided into rigid and flexible segments. Compared to traditional elastomers, the rigid TPE segment forms physical crosslinking instead of chemical

Influence of flexible segment length on the phase structure and properties of poly(hexamethylene 2,5‐furandicarboxylate)‐block‐biopolytetrahydrofuran copolymers

“…A permanent set is defined as the irreversible strain of the initial specimen's length. 66 The differences in residual strain values before ε = 25% are marginal for copolymer series PHF-b-F-pTHF2000. However, as strain increases above 25%, the differences in the strain of copolymers become more visible.…”