Abstract
In this work, a free-radical grafting method was used to modify multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) to improve their dispersion in a polymer matrix by use of a compounding technique. By free-radical grafting for in-situ polymerization, MWNT agglomerates are turned into a networked micro-structure, which in turn builds up a strong interfacial interaction with the polymeric matrix during the mixing procedure. Polystyrene (PS)-MWNT with a hairy rod nanostructure were synthesized by in-situ free-radical polymerization of styrene monomer on the surface of MWNT. PS-MWNT/polypropylene (PP) nanocomposites were prepared by melt mixing. The effect of polystyrene-grafted multi-walled carbon nanotube (PS-MWNT) content on the rheological properties of the polypropylene (PP)-based nanocomposites was investigated. Surface characteristics of PS-MWNT were investigated by infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy (FT-Raman), thermogravimetric analysis, and transmission electron microscopy. The rheological properties of the PS-MWNT/PP composites were confirmed by rheometry. The complex viscosity of the PS-MWNT/polypropylene (PP) nanocomposites increased with increasing PS-MWNT content, primarily because of an increase in the storage modulus G′. In-situ-polymerized PS-MWNT were uniformly distributed in the PP matrix. In addition, the PS-MWNT were interconnected in the PP matrix and then formed PS-MWNT networks, resulting in the formation of a conducting network. Therefore, compared with samples with pristine MWNT, PS-MWNT-reinforced samples have lower conductivity as a resulting of PS grafting on the surface of MWNT.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by a grant from the Fundamental R&D Program for Core Technology of Materials, funded by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, and by the Korea Foundation for International Cooperation of Science and Technology in 2007 (no. K20704000090), Republic of Korea.
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Shim, YS., Park, SJ. Effect of polystyrene-grafted multi-walled carbon nanotubes on the viscoelastic behavior and electrical properties of polypropylene-based nanocomposites. Res Chem Intermed 38, 2123–2135 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11164-012-0531-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11164-012-0531-z