Electrical conductivity and thermal stability of polypropylene containing disentangled carbon nanotubes
Conference Paper
Overview
Overview
abstract
The electrical conductivity and thermo-oxidative stability of polypropylene (PP) modified with disentangled, well-dispersed multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) is reported. MWCNTs were disentangled by exfoliating aggregated clusters using an established nanoplatelet-assisted dispersion approach. The disentangled MWCNTs were functionalized with an aliphatic amine to maintain good dispersion in PP. The MWCNT disentanglement is found to substantially reduce the concentration necessary to form a conductive network with lower electrical conductivity due to physical isolation of the individual conductive nanotubes. Substantial improvement in thermo-oxidative stability is also observed at only 0.1 wt.% MWCNT. The low loading of MWCNTs has also greatly improved both dimensional stability and modulus of the PP. The fundamental mechanisms leading to the above property enhancement will be presented. Implication of the current finding for PP nanocomposite application is also discussed.