ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Effect of carbon nanotube modification on poly (butylene terephthalate)-based composites

Agnieszka Piegat, Anna Jędrzejewska, Robert Peƚech, and Iwona Peƚech

^aDivision of Biomaterials and Microbiological Technologies, Nanotechnology Center, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Piastów Ave 45, 70-311 Szczecin, Poland

E-mail: ipelech@zut.edu.pl

Abstract: The influence of the chemical modification of carbon nanotubes on the mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of poly(butylene terephthalate)-based composites was investigated. Polymer composites based on poly(butylene terephthalate) were obtained via in situ polymerisation or extrusion. Commercially available multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Nanocyl NC7000) at different loadings (mass %: 0.05, 0.25, 1, 2) were used as fillers. The functionalisation process took place under a chlorine atmosphere followed by a reaction with sodium hydroxide. The effect of carbon nanotube modification was analysed according to the changes in the polymer thermal and mechanical properties. An addition of modified carbon nanotubes in the amount of 0.05 mass % improved the mechanical properties of the composites in terms of both Young’s modulus and tensile strength by 5–10 % and 17–30 % compared with composites with unmodified carbon nanotubes and neat poly(butylene terephthalate), respectively. The in situ method of composite preparation was a more effective technique for enhancing the matrix–filler interactions, although a significantly lower amount of fillers were used than in the extrusion method.

Keywords: carbon nanotubes – functionalisation – polymer composites – in situ polymerisation – extrusion

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1515/chempap-2016-0007

Chemical Papers 70 (6) 801–810 (2016)