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ORIGINAL PAPER

Preparation and characterization of functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes filled polyethylene oxide nanocomposites Khalid Saeed1 · Idrees Khan1  Received: 27 December 2019 / Accepted: 14 August 2020 © The Malaysian Rubber Board 2020

Abstract The functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (F-MWCNTs) filled polyethylene oxide (PEO) nanocomposites were prepared by casting technique and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), polarized optical microscopy (POM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The MWCNTs were functionalized by Friedel–Crafts acylation, which introduced aromatic amine groups on the side wall of nanotubes. The SEM micrograph of F-MWCNTs/PEO nanocomposites fractured surfaces indicated that the F-MWCNTs were well dispersed within the PEO matrix. The POM study presented that the neat PEO upon crystallization showed considerable size of crystalline spherulites. The sizes of spherulites decreased with incorporation of F-MWCNTs into the polymer matrix, which might be due to the nucleation role of F-MWCNTs in F-MWCNTs/PEO composite. The DSC analysis showed that the Tm of pure PEO was about 66 °C, which slightly decreased by the incorporation of F-MWCNTs into the polymer matrix. The Tm of 1, 3 and 5 wt% F-MWCNTs/PEO nanocomposites was 65.6, 64 and 63.8 °C, respectively. It was also observed that the thermal stabilities of pure PEO were shifted towards higher temperature when F-MWCNTs were incorporated into the polymer matrix. The TGA analysis represents that pure PEO and 1 wt% of F-MWCNTs/PEO nanocomposite decomposed completely at about 460 °C while thermal stability of 3 and 5 wt% of F-MWCNTs/PEO nanocomposites were shifted towards higher temperature. Keywords  Multiwalled carbon nanotubes · Nanocomposites · Polyethylene oxide · Spherulites · Morphology

Introduction Polymers have relatively weak mechanical, thermal and electrical properties compared to ceramics and metals which still cannot be compensated by various modified polymers such as co-polymers, homopolymers and blended polymers. Alternative approaches to achieve the required properties are to reinforce platelets, fiber, whisker and nanoparticles [1]. Polymer nanocomposites are materials in which nanoparticles are dispersed in a polymer matrix to improve performance properties [2] such as thermal stability [3–5]. Polymer nanocomposites reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been explored extensively in a number of demanding applications as a result of their low mass density and exceptional mechanical properties [6]. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have unique thermal, electrical, mechanical, * Idrees Khan [email protected] 1



Department of Chemistry, Bacha Khan University Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

optical properties, high flexibility, low mass density, and large aspect ratio (typically > 1000), which makes them an ideal candidate as fillers in light weight polymer composite. CNTs have two main types, i.e., single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and