Title: Effect of carbon black nanoparticle on the morphology rheology and thermal properties of emulsion polymer blends

Authors: Salim Hammani; Nadji Moulai-Mostefa; Lazhar Benyahia

Addresses: Laboratoire d'Analyse Fonctionnelle des Procédés Chimiques, Université of Blida, Route de Soumaa, 09000 Blida, Algeria ' Laboratoire Matériaux et Environnement, Université de Medea, Ain d'Heb, 26001 Medea, Algeria ' Polymères, Colloïdes, Interfaces, UMR - Université du Maine, CNRS 6120 Avenue Olivier-Messiaen, 72085 Le Mans Cedex 9, France

Abstract: In this study, the effects of the content of carbon black (CB) nanoparticle on the morphology of the emulsion polymer blends were investigated. The immiscible polymer blend was prepared with polystyrene (PS) and polypropylene (PP) in the absence and presence of different contents of CB nanoparticle in a twin screw mini extruder. The blend morphology was determined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and the thermorheological properties by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Rheometric Dynamic Analyser (RDAII). The morphological results of blends prepared with and without CB nanoparticle showed a dispersion of circular particle in the matrix. The addition of CB nanoparticle decreases significantly the droplet size of the dispersed phase and also decreases the crystallisation temperature. The melt and transition temperatures remain less constant. The rheological properties of the blends are in between those of the two components for weak content of CB. However, when this content exceeds a critical value, the rheological properties increase significantly and exceed the properties of the two components. It was shown that a content of 4 wt% of CB nanoparticles was sufficient to achieve the percolation threshold in nanocomposite.

Keywords: emulsion polymer blends; blend morphology; rheology; thermal properties; nanocomposites; carbon black nanoparticles; nanotechnology; polystyrene; polypropylene; droplet size; crystallisation temperature; melt temperature; transition temperature; percolation threshold.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2013.053522

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2013 Vol.10 No.5/6/7, pp.533 - 542

Published online: 27 Apr 2013 *

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