Title: Investigation of mechanical, thermal properties and non-isothermal crystallisation kinetic of polypropylene/single-walled carbon nanotube

Authors: Abdolhosein Fereidoon, Morteza Ghorbanzadeh-Ahangari

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Semnan University, P.O. Box 35196 45399, Semnan, Iran. ' Department of Engineering, Islamic Azad University-Semnan Branch, P.O. Box 35145 179, Semnan, Iran

Abstract: This paper is devoted to the study of the mechanical, thermal properties and non-isothermal crystallisation kinetics of polypropylene and polypropylene/single-walled carbon nanotubes (PP/SWNTs) nanocomposites. The results of tensile testing measurements show that the modulus of nanocomposites is greatly enhanced 82% compared with neat PP. Moreover, the elongation at break of nanocomposites decreased obviously with incorporation of SWNTs in PP matrix. The dynamic mechanical thermal analysis as well as tensile testing experiments showed the same results. Thermogravimetry analysis results showed that SWNTs enhanced the decomposition temperature of nanocomposites in comparison with PP matrix. The results obtained from differential scanning calorimetry showed that incorporation of SWNTs reduced the crystallinity but has increased on crystallisation temperature of PP. The non-isothermal melt crystallisation data were analysed according to Avrami model. The values of crystallisation half-life indicated that the crystallisation rate increased with the increasing of cooling rates for PP and PP/SWNTs nanocomposite.

Keywords: nanocomposites; dynamic mechanical thermal analysis; DMTA; tensile testing; thermogravimetry analysis; differential scanning calorimetry; Avrami model; non-isothermal crystallisation kinetics; polypropylene; carbon nanotubes; CNTs; nanomaterials; nanotechnology.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNBM.2009.027730

International Journal of Nano and Biomaterials, 2009 Vol.2 No.1/2/3/4/5, pp.339 - 346

Published online: 08 Aug 2009 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article