Flexural, thermal and antistatic properties of poly(lactic cid)/polypropylene/carbon nanotube nanocomposite
Loading...
Date
2019-07
Authors
Lim, Yuan Ting
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This present study is aimed to determine the effect of carbon nanotubes (CNT)
and compound mixing sequences on the flexural, antistatic, thermal and morphological
properties of poly(lactic acid)/polypropylene/carbon nanotubes (PLA/PP/CNT)
nanocomposites. PLA/PP with blend ratio of 60:40 that contained CNT with loading
from 1.0 to 2.5 wt% was melt compounded followed by compression moulding. Three
compound mixing sequences were PLA→PP→CNT (mixing sequence A),
PLA→CNT→PP (mixing sequence B) and PP→CNT→PLA (mixing sequence C). The
antistatic properties of PLA/PP/CNT nanocomposites were achieved at 2.5 wt% of CNT
loading by MSA, 1.5 wt% of CNT loading by MSB and 2.0 wt% of CNT by MSC.
Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) showed that the morphology of
PLA/PP blend transformed from sea-island to co-continuous with the incorporation of
CNT. CNT was selectively localized at PLA major phase. Dispersion of CNTs on PLA
PP interface was observed for nanocomposite prepared by MSB sequence.
Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results indicated that thermal decomposition of
PLA/PP/CNT nanocomposite was affected by the loading of CNT as well as the mixing
sequences. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) results demonstrated that CNT had
reduced the cold crystallization temperature of PLA whereas it increased crystallization
temperature of PP. From the three-point bending test, the flexural modulus and flexural
strength of PLA/PP/CNT (60/40/2.5) were higher than PLA/PP (60/40) blend regardless
of the mixing sequences.