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Strengthening of liquid crystalline polymer by functionalized carbon nanotubes through interfacial interaction and homogeneous dispersion
Author(s) -
Sahoo Nanda Gopal,
Cheng Henry Kuo Feng,
Pan Yongzheng,
Li Lin,
Chan Siew Hwa,
Zhao Jianhong
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
polymers for advanced technologies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.61
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1099-1581
pISSN - 1042-7147
DOI - 10.1002/pat.1704
Subject(s) - materials science , carbon nanotube , composite material , polymer , dispersion (optics) , ultimate tensile strength , dynamic mechanical analysis , rheology , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , viscosity , chemical engineering , physics , optics , engineering
Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were functionalized with two types of chemical moieties (i.e. carboxylic, COOH and hydroxyl benzoic acid groups, ‐HBA) on their sidewalls in order to improve their interaction with a liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) and dispersion in LCP. We have investigated the rheological, mechanical, dynamic mechanical, and thermal properties in detail with variation of HBA‐functionalized MWCNTs in the LCP matrix. Effect of the dispersion state of the functionalized MWCNTs in the LCP matrix on the rheological behavior was also studied. The composites containing HBA‐functionalized MWCNTs showed higher complex viscosity, storage, and loss modulus than the composites with the same loading of raw MWCNTs and MWCNT‐COOH. It was suggested that the HBA‐functionalized MWCNTs exhibited a better dispersion in the polymer matrix and formed stronger CNT‐polymer interaction in the composites than the raw MWCNTs and MWCNT‐COOH, which was also confirmed by FESEM and FTIR studies. As a result, the overall mechanical performance of the HBA‐MWCNT‐LCP composites could be improved significantly. For example, the addition of 4 wt% HBA‐MWCNT to LCP resulted in the considerable improvements in the tensile strength and modulus of LCP (by 66 and 90%, respectively). Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.