Selective localisation of multi walled carbon nanotubes in polypropylene/natural rubber blends to reduce the percolation threshold

Nair, Sharika Thankappan and Vijayan, Poornima P and Xavier, Priti and Bose, Suryasarathi and George, Soney C and Thomas, Sabu (2015) Selective localisation of multi walled carbon nanotubes in polypropylene/natural rubber blends to reduce the percolation threshold. In: COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 116 . pp. 9-17.

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Abstract

Polypropylene and natural rubber blends with multiwalled carbon nanotube (PP/NR + MWCNT nanocomposites) were prepared by melt mixing. The melt rheological behaviour of neat PP and PP/NR blends filled with different loadings (1, 3, 5, 7 wt%) of MWCNT was studied. The effect of PP/NR blends (with compositions, 80/20,50/50, 20/80 by wt) on the rheological percolation threshold was investigated. It was found that blending PP with NR (80/20 and 50/50 composition) reduced the rheological percolation threshold from 5 wt% to 3 wt% MWCNT. The melt rheological behaviour of the MWCNT filled PP/NR blends was correlated with the morphology observations from high resolution transmission electron microscopic (HRTEM) images. In predicting the thermodynamically favoured location of MWCNT in PP/NR blend, the specific interaction of phospholipids in NR phase with MWCNTs was considered quantitatively. The MWCNTs were selectively localised in the NR phase. The percolation mechanism in MWCNT filled PP/NR blends was discussed and for each blend composition, the percolation mechanism was found to be different. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Publisher:	ELSEVIER SCI LTD
Additional Information:	Copy right for this article belongs to the ELSEVIER SCI LTD, THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND
Keywords:	Carbon nanotubes; Nanocomposites; Rheology; Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
Department/Centre:	Division of Mechanical Sciences > Materials Engineering (formerly Metallurgy)
Date Deposited:	26 Aug 2015 05:15
Last Modified:	26 Aug 2015 05:15
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/52229

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