Development and Characterization of Novel Conductive Nanofiller Based on Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Grafted with Poly(3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene)

In the present study, an approach for the graft polymerization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) has been evaluated. The surface of the MWCNTs was activated with thiophene groups through the amide linker followed by oxidative polymerization of EDOT monomer resulted in the development of PEDOT-g-MWCNTs. The methods of thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray fluorescence, and Raman spectroscopy were used for characterization of functionalization efficiency. The TGA data indicated of 21% functionalization attached to MWCNTs. X-ray fluorescence confirmed the presence of Cl, and S atoms in functionalized fillers. The study of Raman spectra confirm…

Evaluation of Mechanical and Structure Properties of Electron Beam Cross-Linked Ethylene-Octene Copolymer Nanocomposites with Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Recently, ionizing radiation has found an application in nanotechnology especially attributed to the improvement of nanocomposites. In the present paper, we have developed and evaluated radiation cross-linked nanocomposites made of ethylene-octene copolymer (EOC) with 0-15 wt.% of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and irradiated by 5 MeV accelerated electrons. The influence of combined factors of MWCNT filler content and the irradiation up to 150 kGy on the tensile stress-strain properties at 25–50°C was analysed. The cross-linking efficiency was also evaluated. The results indicated improvement in tensile properties with an increase of MWCNT content and the irradiation up to 150 kGy d…

Manufacturing, structure and properties of recycled polyethylene terephthalate /liquid crystal polymer/montmorillonite clay nanocomposites

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)/liquid crystal polymer (LCP)/monthmorillonite clay (MMT) compositions were obtained by melt mixing. Their mechanical, structural, rheological and thermal properties were investigated.

A Study of Mechanical Properties of Polymer Composite Membranes with Various Ionic Liquids at Elevated Temperatures

This work was supported by Latvian Council of Science (Cooperation project No.666/2014.4).

Recycled Polycarbonate Based Nanocomposites

Post-consumer polycarbonate (RPC) blends with various amounts (5, 10, 30 wt. %) of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVAc) are investigated as potential nanocomposite matrices. At EVAc weight content of 10 wt.% maximum tensile strength σM and impact strength AI increase is observed in comparison to neat RPC. Addition of EVAc, however, reduces resistance to creep as well as decrease thermal stability of the investigated compositions. Addition of montmorillonite nanoclay (MMT), however, allows increase modulus of elasticity E and yield strength σY of the investigated RPC blend with 10 wt. % of EVAc. Besides it creep resistance and thermal resistance of the investigated system is increased to …

Modification of polyoxymethylene for increased thermal resistance

Ternary nanocomposites, composed of polyoxymethylene (POM), ethylene octene copolymer and zinc oxide (ZnO), are prepared by melt compounding. The effects of two types of ethylene-octene copolymers, differing with α-octene content (38% for EOC38 and 17% for EOC17), as well as nanostructured ZnO on thermal behavior of POM are investigated. The content of EOC in the POM based composites is varied between 10 and 50 wt%, while the content of ZnO is 2 wt%. Thermal behavior of POM based systems are studied by using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Results of thermogravimetric analysis show that, by rising either …

The effect of partial exfoliation of multilayer silicate filler particles on the elastic properties of a polymer composite

Abstract A method for stepwise calculation the elastic constants of a three-phase composite, including the polymer matrix, the fully exfoliated silicate nanolayers and the platelike silicate particles in the form of multilayer intercalated stacks is considered. A theoretical analysis is carried out by using the Mori–Tanaka theory of an equivalent medium. The influence of degree of exfoliation (the ratio of exfoliated filler content to the total filler content) on the reinforcing efficiency is studied and discussed. A comparative analysis of experimental data of elastic modulus for a rigid polyurethane/montmorillonite composite and prediction results is carried out. It is shown, that with gr…

Aging of Nanosized ZnO Modified Polyoxymethylene Blends with Ethylene–octene Copolymer

The influence of ethylene–octene copolymer and zinc oxide (ZnO) on structure and tensile stress–strain behavior of polyoxymethylene were investigated before and after ultraviolet weathering. Addition of ZnO considerably improved stress–strain characteristics of the ultraviolet-irradiation impaired composites. Crystallinities of ultraviolet-irradiated composites were affected by numerous competitive processes, including suppression of crystallization in the presence of multiple components in the system, nucleation induced by nanofiller, secondary crystallization and amorphization because of the chain scissions of the macromolecules. Addition of ZnO considerably improved stability of the comp…

Improvement of mechanical and dielectric properties of ethylene–octene copolymer by multi‐walled carbon nanotubes functionalized with poly(2,2′‐bithiophene)