Polystyrene composites with very high carbon nanotubes loadings by in situ grafting polymerization
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o J. Rodríguez-Macías Advanced Materials Department, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (IPICYT), Camino a la Presa San José 2055, San Luis Potosí 78216, México; and Department of Fundamental Chemistry, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco 50740-540, Brazil
Abraham G. Cano-Márquez Advanced Materials Department, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (IPICYT), Camino a la Presa San José 2055, San Luis Potosí 78216, México
Jasmeet Kaur School of Polymer, Textile & Fiber Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0295
Meisha L. Shofner School of Polymer, Textile & Fiber Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0295; and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0245
Yadira I. Vega-Cantúa) Advanced Materials Department, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (IPICYT), Camino a la Presa San José 2055, San Luis Potosí 78216, México; and Department of Fundamental Chemistry, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco 50740-540, Brazil (Received 13 November 2012; accepted 7 February 2013)
We introduce a novel method for producing polystyrene (PS)-grafted multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), which provides a direct route to composites where carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are the major component. Infrared and Raman spectroscopies confirmed that the MWCNTs were functionalized with PS. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that CNTs increase thermal stability of the composite up to a critical loading (;40 wt%) beyond which high nanotube loadings decrease the polymer degradation temperature, as a consequence of the thermal properties of CNTs and the composite morphology. Even at loadings as high as 80 wt% MWCNTs, the composite is an effective masterbatch material for both solution- and melt-processing. These results show that in situ polymerizations can be flexible and robust techniques for nanocomposite processing, overcoming limitations of conventional processing techniques to produce nanocomposites with very high nanotube loadings, not achieved hitherto.
I. INTRODUCTION
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can significantly reinforce composites due to their mechanical properties.1 Nanotubes also have high electrical and thermal conductivities, which make them attractive for functional composites.2,3 Many important advances have been made since the first nanotube polymer composite was reported, as summarized in a variety of reviews on the topic,2–7 but challenges still remain in achieving uniform dispersion in the polymer matrix, and in producing nanocomposites with high percentages of CNTs, as well as in dispersing them. There are a few solvents reported to suspend CNT, they include a)
Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: [email protected], [email protected] DOI: 10.1557/jmr.2013.38 J. Mater. Res., Vol. 28, No. 8, Apr 28, 2013
superacids8 and some organic solvents, such as dimethylformamide, dichlorobenzene, N-methyl pyrr
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