Preparation and Characterization of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes-Reinforced pCBT by Ring-Opening Polymerization of Cyclic Butylene Terephthalate

Abstract

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT)-reinforced polymerized cyclic butylene terephthalate (pCBT) nanocomposites were prepared by in situ ring opening polymerization of cyclic butylene terephthalate oligomers (CBT). The results of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) indicated that the melting peak located at the low temperature (Tm1) increased and that at higher temperature (Tm2) decreased with the increasing of content of the MWCNT. During the cooling the MWCNT served as nucleation points from where crystallization can start. The more the MWCNT in the system the earlier the crystallization starts. The Morphological investigations performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shown that the MWCNT were embedded in the matrix and held tightly by the matrix. The modulus and strength increased with MWCNT concentration in the nanocomposites, however, the elongation at break, absorbed energy at break and impact strength were decreased with the increasing of MWCNT content.