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Thermal‐initiated hydroxyethyl methacrylate functionalization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes
Author(s) -
Curtzwiler Greg,
Costanzo Philip J.,
Fernando Ray,
Danes Jeffrey E.,
Vorst Keith
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.33663
Subject(s) - materials science , surface modification , polyurethane , methacrylate , carbon nanotube , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , differential scanning calorimetry , coating , chemical engineering , polymerization , polymer chemistry , glass transition , (hydroxyethyl)methacrylate , radical polymerization , composite material , polymer , thermodynamics , physics , engineering
Multiwalled‐carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were functionalized via thermoinitiated free radical polymerization of 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) using benzoyl peroxide. Tip sonication was used during the polymerization reaction to separate agglomerated nanotubes. The functionalization was confirmed by control experiments and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐FTIR). Differential scanning calorimetry indicated that the addition of poly(HEMA)‐MWCNTs to a two‐component polyurethane coating will have little effect on the glass transition temperature of the coating. The poly(HEMA)‐functionalized MWCNTs formed large colloidal structures of highly dispersed nanotubes in both the nonsheared and sheared coatings as determined by atomic force microscopy. This study determined a quick and easy method to functionalize MWCNTs for incorporation into a two‐component polyurethane coating. A simple method for producing ordered structures of the MWCNTs via shear observed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011