MWCNTs Supported N,N′-Dicyclohexyl-1,5-diamino-2,6-naphthalenedicarboxamide: A Novel β-Nucleating Agent for Polypropylene

Abstract

N,N′-Dicyclohexyl-1,5-diamino-2,6-naphthalenedicarboxamide (NA), a highly efficient and selective β-nucleating agent for isotactic polypropylene (iPP), was synthesized and chemically supported on the surface of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) via an amidation reaction. The β-nucleation ability of NA, itself, is superior to the commonly used, highly efficient, and selective β-nucleating agents, e.g., commercial rare earth WBG-and aryl amide derivative TMB-5, as proved by the results of wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The effect of MWCNTs supported NA (MWCNT-NA) on the crystallization and melting behavior of iPP was investigated by means of WAXD and DSC. The results show that the MWCNTs supported NA can effectively induce the formation of β-crystals in iPP/MWCNT-NA, although the grafting degree of NA onto the surface of MWCNTs could still to be improved.

Keywords:

• β nucleating agent
• crystalline structure
• polypropylene (PP)

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for the financial support of National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 50973074), Fok Ying Tung Education Foundation (Grant No. 122022), the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (NCET-08-0382), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. 2011SCU04A03).