Influence of silanized low-dimensional carbon nanofillers on mechanical, thermomechanical, and crystallization behaviors of poly(L-lactic acid) composites-A comparative study

• Published in: Journal of applied polymer science Vol. 130; no. 2; pp. 1194 - 1202
• Main Authors: Li, Wenxiao, Shi, Chengbo, Shan, Mingjing, Guo, Qiwei, Xu, Zhiwei, Wang, Zhen, Yang, Caiyun, Mai, Wei, Niu, Jiarong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, NJ Blackwell Publishing Ltd 15.10.2013; Wiley; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Applied sciences; biopolymers and renewable polymers; Carbon; Composites; Crystallization; Exact sciences and technology; Fillers; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; graphene and fullerenes; Materials science; mechanical properties; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanostructure; nanotubes; Polylactic acid; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Polymers; Reproduction; Silanes; Technology of polymers; Strengthening; graphene and fullerenes; Optically active polymer; Crystallization; Carbon nanotubes; Mechanical properties; Organic silane; Dispersion reinforced material; Experimental study; biopolymers and renewable polymers; Composite material; Tensile strength; Surface treatment; Coupling agent; Thermal properties; nanotubes; Lactic acid polymer; Multiwalled nanotube; Dynamic mechanical properties; Graphene; Aliphatic polymer; Nanocomposite
• ISSN: 0021-8995; 1097-4628
• DOI: 10.1002/app.39259

ABSTRACT Composites were investigated regarding the comparison of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with exfoliated graphene(EG) in poly(L‐lactic acid) (PLLA) and the effect of silane‐treated carbon nanofillers on properties of PLLA composites. Solution blending method was used to prepare PLLA composites at a filler content of 0.5 wt %. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectra results indicated the attachment of silane molecules on the surface of these nanofillers. It was found that the addition of these nanofillers greatly enhanced the mechanical, thermomechanical, and crystallization behaviors of PLLA due to the heterogeneous nucleation effect. Moreover, the silane‐treated fillers further enhanced the breaking elongation moderately (although the materials are still brittle), modulus and thermal property of the nanocomposites, without sacrificing the tensile strength, compared with the pristine nanocomposites. On the other hand, composites reinforced with MWCNTs and EG perform almost the same mechanical property. And EG outperformed MWCNTs in thermomechanical properties of composites when being used as the reinforcement of PLLA. Conversely, composites reinforced with MWCNTs showed better crystallization properties than those reinforced with EG. Interestingly, no significant changes were observed for the crystallization properties of PLLA composites when MWCNTs and EG had been treated by silane coupling agent. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 1194‐1202, 2013