Study of the Mechanical, Thermal Properties and Morphology of Polypropylene Nanocomposites in the Presence of Compatibilizer

Abstract

In this work, the mechanical, rheological, and thermal properties and morphology of a polypropylene matrix reinforced with single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs) were investigated. Polypropylene-grafted-maleic acid was used as a compatibilizer to promote SWNTs dispersion. Compared to uncompatibilized nanocomposites, the tensile modulus of the material increased considerably when nanotubes and compatibilizer were employed. The rheological characterization results revealed that addition of SWNTs increased the storage modulus and complex viscosity at low frequencies. SEM revealed that the SWNTs were uniformly distributed when low concentrations of SWNTs were employed. The results of DSC indicated that the addition of SWNTs increased the crystallinity of nanocomposites.

Keywords:

• Compatibilizer
• Mechanical property
• Morphology
• Nanocomposite
• Rheological property
• Thermal property