Preparation and properties of double percolated co-continuous PC/PET/MWCNT/GNP engineering polymer blend nanocomposites

Abstract

This study reports on the preparation and characterization of nanocomposites based on polycarbonate (PC)/poly ethylene terephthalate (PET) blend containing low amounts of hybrid of multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNTs) and graphene nanoplates (GNPs) by melt mixing. To use double percolation mechanism, at first a co-continuous polymer blend was prepared and the influence of nanofiller content on morphology, electrical conductivity, rheological and mechanical properties of co-continuous PC/PET blend was investigated. Blend containing 60 wt. % PET showed co-continuous morphology as observed by scanning electron microscopy and it was found that co-continuity remained unchanged by the addition of nanofillers. The direct current (DC) electrical conductivity results showed a low electrical percolation threshold around 0.5 phr. The results obtained from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) showed an increase in thermal stability and crystallinity of nanocomposites. By increasing nanofiller amount, the storage modulus, loss modulus, and complex viscosity of samples increased as an indication of the strong network formation between nanofillers and polymer chains. The rheological percolation threshold was also found in the range of 2.5–3.5 phr of nanofillers. The tensile measurements results showed that the addition PC to PET increases the tensile strength of PET.