Morphology, Thermal Stability, and Electrical Conductivity of Polymer Nanocomposites of Isotactic Polypropylene/Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract

Molecular weight of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and concentration of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) effects on the morphology, thermal stability, and electrical conductivity for iPP/MWCNT nanocomposites were evaluated. Nanocomposites were prepared by solution mixing followed by non-isothermal crystallization from the melt. The samples were characterized by different physical-chemical techniques. Electrical conductivity was obtained from electrical resistance measured using a source meter. It was determined that the morphology of the nanocomposites shows a change from spherulitic to fibrillar to undefined depending on the molecular weight of iPP and concentration of MWCNT. Morphology was correlated with thermal stability and electrical conductivity.

Keywords:

• Electrical conductivity
• molecular weight
• morphology
• nonisothermal crystallization
• thermal stability

Acknowledgment

The authors are grateful for the support of CIQA and CONACYT for this project under contracts F706-17, and J49551Y, respectively. The synchrotron X-ray experiments were carried out in the Beamline X27C at National Synchrotron Light Source, Brookhaven National Laboratory, USA. Finally, the authors are grateful for the review of this paper by Sion Ng of the Peace Corps.