Mechanical properties and degradation studies of poly(D,L‐lactide‐co‐glycolide) 50:50/graphene oxide nanocomposite films

Poly(D,L‐lactide‐co‐glycolide) 50:50 (PLGA)/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite films were prepared with various GO weight fractions. A significant enhancement of mechanical properties of the PLGA/GO nanocomposite films was obtained with GO weight fractions. The incorporation of only 5 wt% of GO resulted in an ~2.5‐fold and ~4.7‐fold increase in the tensile strength and Young's modulus of PLGA, respectively. The thermomechanical behaviors of composite films were investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis. Results indicated that the values of T_g and storage moduli of the PLGA/GO composites were higher than those of the pristine PLGA. The improvement in oxygen barrier properties of composites was presumably attributed to the filler effect of the randomly dispersed GO throughout the PLGA matrix. In this work, we also studied in vitro biodegradation behavior. PLGA/GO composite films were hydrolyzed at 37°C for periods up to 49 days. Because of the presence of GO nanosheets, degradation of composite films took place more slowly with increasing GO amounts. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chitin/graphene oxide composite films with enhanced mechanical properties prepared in NaOH/urea aqueous solution

Chitin/graphene oxide (GO) composite films with excellent mechanical properties were prepared in NaOH/urea solution using a freezing/thawing method. The structure, thermal stability and mechanical properties of the composite films were investigated. Use of an atomic force microscope and transmission electron microscopy indicated that GO was successfully exfoliated to a single layer by ultrasonication. The results revealed that GO nanosheets were homogeneously dispersed and embedded in the chitin matrix. Due to the strong interactions between GO and the chitin matrix, the tensile strength and elongation at break of the composite film possessing 1.64 wt% GO were significantly improved by 98.7 and 114.5 %, respectively, compared with pure chitin film.     

Eco-friendly synthesis, characterization and properties of a sodium carboxymethyl cellulose/graphene oxide nanocomposite film

A previously unreported nanocomposite (CMC/GO) high-performance film was prepared by a simple solution mixing-evaporation method. The structure, thermal stability, and mechanical properties of the composite films were investigated by wide-angle X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetry analysis, and mechanical testing. The results obtained from these different studies revealed that CMC and graphene oxide were able to form a homogeneous mixture. Compared with pure CMC, the tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the graphene-based materials were improved significantly upon incorporation of 1 wt% graphene oxide by 67 ± 6 % and 148 ± 5 %, respectively. In addition, the DMA composite films also showed a high storage modulus up to 250 °C.     

Structure and properties of regenerated cellulose/tourmaline nanocrystal composite films

Nanocomposite films were successfully prepared from cellulose and tourmaline nanocrystals with mean diameters of 70 nm in a 1.5 M NaOH/0.65 M thiourea aqueous solution by coagulation with 5 wt % CaCl₂ and then a 3 wt % HCl aqueous solution for 2 min. The structure and properties of the composite films were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and tensile testing. The results indicated that the tourmaline nanocrystals were dispersed in a cellulose matrix, maintaining the original structure of the nanocrystals in the composite films. The loss peaks (tan δ) in the DMA spectra and the decomposition temperatures in the DSC curves of the composite films were significantly shifted toward low temperatures, suggesting that the nanocrystals broke the partial intermolecular hydrogen bonds of cellulose, and this led to a reduction in the thermal stability. However, the nanocomposite films exhibited a homogeneous structure and dispersion of the nanocrystals. When the tourmaline content was in the range of 4–8 wt %, the composite films possessed good tensile strength (92–107 MPa) and exhibited obvious antibacterial action against Staphylococcus aureus. This work provides a potential way of preparing functional composite films or fibers from cellulose and nanoinorganic particles with NaOH/thiourea aqueous solutions. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 367–373, 2004     

Dissolution of MWCNTs by using polyoxadiazoles,and highly effective reinforcement of their composite films

Nonmodified multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/sulfonated polyoxadiazole (sPOD) nanocomposites are successfully prepared by a facile solution route. The pristine MWCNTs are dispersed in a sPOD solution, and the mixtures are fabricated into thin films by solution casting. The homogeneous dispersion of nanotubes in the composites is confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. The mechanical properties, thermal stability, and electrical conductivity are investigated. Tensile strength, elongation at break, and tensile energy to break are shown to increase by more than 28, 45, and 73%, respectively, by incorporating up to 1.0 wt % pristine MWCNTs. The experimental values for sPOD/MWCNTs composite stiffness are compared with Halpin‐Tsai and modified Halpin‐Tsai predictions. The storage modulus is found to increase up to 10% at low CNT loading. The composite films, which have an outstanding thermal stability, show an increase of up to 57 °C in the initial degradation temperature. The addition of 1.0 wt % MWCNTs increases the electrical conductivity of the sPOD matrix by two orders of magnitude. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

Preparation and Characterization of Nanocomposite Films from Chitin Whisker and Waterborne Poly(ester-urethane) With or Without Ultra-Sonification Treatment

Two series of nanocomposite films were prepared from waterborne poly(ester-urethane) and chitin whisker with and without ultrasound treatment coded as CW/WPU and CHW/WPU, respectively. The effects of ultra-sonification method and chitin whisker content on the chemical compositions, crystallization behavior and miscibility were studied by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WXRD), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Thermal stability and mechanical properties of the films were measured by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and tensile test, respectively. The results revealed that both nanocomposite films exhibited a certain degree of miscibility when chitin whisker content was lower than 30 wt%, resulting in higher thermal stability and tensile strength than the pure waterborne poly(ester-urethane) film. Interestingly, the composite films CW/WPU with ultrasound treatment possessed better miscibility, storage modulus, thermal stability and tensile strength than those without ultrasound treatment over the entire composition range studied here. The difference can be attributed to the relatively higher dispersion level of whisker within poly(ester-urethane) matrix resulting in relatively stronger entanglement and interaction between both components. The ultrasound treatment can effectively improve the miscibility and mechanical properties of the casting nanocomposite films with nano-meter size chitin whisker added. This indicated that the structure, miscibility and mechanical properties of the nanocomposite films depended significantly on the preparation method.     

Surface properties of chitosan composites with poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-vinylpyrrolidone) and montmorillonite

Surface properties of composites containing chitosan (Ch) with poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) and montmorillonite (MMT) additives were investigated by contact angle measurements, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and tensile tests. Composites were obtained by drop casting suspensions of montmorillonite (1 wt % relative to chitosan) and polymer (1 wt %) in 0.1 mol/dm³ acetic acid. Contact angle measurements for diiodomethane (D) and glycerol (G) on the surfaces of the chitosan films, PVP and their composite films were made; surface free energies were also calculated. It was found that the PVP/MMT or Ch/PVP/MMT blend surface is enriched with a high surface energy component, i.e., polyvinylpyrrolidone. The roughness of chitosan composites increases after the addition of montmorillonite; this may indicate an increase in the heterogeneity of this composition in comparison to other compositions. The TGA thermograms and mass loss percentages at different decomposition temperatures showed that the thermal stability of the binary composite slightly increases upon the addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone. The mechanical properties such as tensile strength and Young modulus depend on the composition and varied non-uniformly.     

Nanocrystalline cellulose acetate (NCCA)/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical properties and barrier against water vapor

Highly flexible nanocomposite films of nanocrystalline cellulose acetate (NCCA) and graphene oxide (GO) were synthesized by combining NCCA and GO sheets in a well-controlled manner. By adjusting the GO content, various NCCA/GO nanocomposites with 0.3–1 wt% GO were obtained. Films of these nanocomposites were prepared using the solvent casting method. Microscopic and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements demonstrated that the GO nanosheets were uniformly dispersed in the NCCA matrix. Mechanical properties of the composite films were also studied. The best GO composition of the samples tested was 0.8 wt%, giving tensile strength of 157.49 MPa, which represents a 61.92 % enhancement compared with NCCA. On the other hand, the composite films showed improved barrier properties against water vapor. This simple process for preparation of NCCA/GO films is attractive for potential development of high-performance films for electrical and electrochemical applications.     

Investigating properties of poly (ether‐amide)/MWCNT nanocomposite films containing 2,7‐bis(4‐aminophenoxy)naphthalene and isophthalic segments

Three nanocomposite films based on aramid (poly (ether‐amide), PEA) and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were prepared via solution casting method using 2,7‐bis(4‐aminophenoxy)naphthalene (4) and isophthalic acid (5) containing various amounts of MWCNT (2, 3, 5 wt.%). To comprehensively analyze the properties of the cast films as well as the monomers, different techniques were employed, namely FT‐IR, ¹H NMR, X‐ray diffraction, and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Also, thermal and tensile properties of PEA (6) and nanocomposite films were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis and mechanical analysis, respectively. The morphology, thermal, and mechanical properties of nanocomposite films approved that MWCNT had well dispersion in the PEA matrix and showed a synergistic effect on improving all of the investigated properties. Based on the thermogravimetric analysis results, employing MWCNT caused to increase in the char yields from 61 (in the neat PEA) to 66 (in the PEA /MWCNT nanocomposite 5 wt.%) under the nitrogen atmosphere. In comparison to the pristine PEA (426°C), the temperature at 10 losses mass % (T₁₀) was increased from 530°C to 576°C, with 2 to 5 wt.% of MWCNT. Mechanical analysis revealed that the tensile strength and initial modulus were improved by incorporating MWCNT into PEA (81.70–93.40 MPa and 2.10–2.22 GPa, respectively). Electrical conductivity of the PEA/MWCNT nanocomposites was displayed maximum value in the 5 wt.%, showing satisfactory value in many application areas. The X‐ray diffraction technique was employed to study the crystalline structure of the prepared nanocomposite films as well as PEA. In addition, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy study demonstrated that the prepared nanocomposites had significant impedance improvement in the presence of MWCNTs.     

Toughness enhancements in poly(methyl methacrylate) by addition of oriented multiwall carbon nanotubes

The mechanical properties of multiwall carbon nanotube (MWNT)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanocomposites were studied as a function of nanotube orientation, length, concentration, and type. Orientation and dispersion were assessed by electron microscopy. A processing parameter study revealed the robust nature of fabricating nanotube/PMMA nanocomposites. An optimal set of extrusion conditions was found for minimizing the aggregate size in single‐wall carbon nanotube (SWNT)/PMMA nanocomposites; this set was also used for the fabrication of the MWNT/PMMA composites. Good dispersion was achieved for MWNTs in PMMA at 0.1–10 wt % loading levels (with the best dispersions at the lower loading levels). The orientation of MWNTs in PMMA proved to be the only way to substantially toughen the nanocomposite. A level of 1 wt % MWNTs in PMMA (oriented nanocomposite) exhibited the largest increase in tensile toughness with a 170% improvement over oriented PMMA. Increases in the modulus and yield strength were not nearly as pronounced (and occurred only at the highest loading of MWNTs, which was 10 wt %) with increases of 38 and 25%, respectively. A failure mechanism was proposed in which orientation of the MWNTs (normal to the direction of craze propagation and crack development) enabled them to toughen the brittle PMMA by bridging cracks that developed (via craze precursors) during the tensile test. None of the nanotube/PMMA composites showed mechanical properties close to the values expected from simple rule of mixture and orientation considerations. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2690–2702, 2004     

The synthesis and characterization of polyorganosiloxane nanoparticles from 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane for preparation of nanocomposite films via photoinitiated thiol-ene polymerization

This article describes the synthesis of modified silica nanoparticles (SiO₂-MPTMS) via the condensation reaction carried out between silanol moieties of silica nanoparticles and the trialkoxy silyl groups of (3-mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane (MPTMS). Then, SiO₂-MPTMS nanoparticles in certain amounts (0.5 wt %, 1 wt %, 2.5 wt % and 5 wt %) were incorporated into thiol-ene resins consisting of bisphenol A glycerolate dimethacrylate and trimethylolpropane tris(3-mercaptopropionate) to prepare nanocomposite films via the photoinitiated thiol-ene polymerization in presence of 2,2-Dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone 99% as a photoinitiator. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, scanning transmission electron microscopy, thermal gravimetric analyzer, and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer were employed to characterize SiO₂-MPTMS nanoparticles. It was revealed that the nanosilica surface was successfully grafted by MPTMS with the grafting ratio of 22.9%. Properties of the nanocomposite films such as decomposition temperature, thermal glass transition temperature, tensile strength, hardness, and particle distribution were investigated and the results were compared with each other and neat film. The addition of MPTMS-modified silica particles did not improve the thermal stability of the films. In scanning electron microscopy study, it was seen that 2.5 wt % of these nanoparticles used as additives were about 200 nm in size and dispersed homogeneously in the polymer matrix. The increase in tensile strength of nanocomposite films compared to the neat film was measured as 77.3% maximum.     

High strength toughened epoxy nanocomposite based on poly(ether sulfone)‐grafted multi‐walled carbon nanotube

Hydroxyl terminated poly(ether sulfone) (PES) has been grafted on multi‐walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT). The grafting reaction was confirmed by different characterization techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and transmission electron microscopy. The extent of the grafting was found to be around 58 wt%. Hybrid nanocomposite of epoxy with the modified MWCNT was also prepared. Effect of grafting on the mechanical, thermal, and viscoelastic properties was studied. Dynamic mechanical studies show an increase in the storage modulus for the nanocomposite prepared using PES‐grafted MWCNT compared with neat epoxy system. PES‐grafted MWCNT–epoxy nanocomposite induces a significant increase in both tensile strength (26%) and fracture toughness (125%) of the epoxy matrix. Field emission scanning electron micrographs of fractured surfaces were examined to understand the toughening mechanism. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hybrid polypyrrole/copper/graphene oxide nanocomposite films synthesized via potentiostatic deposition with enhanced photovoltaic properties

Novel ternary nanocomposites films of Polypyrrole/copper/graphene oxide (PPy/Cu/GO) showed enhanced optical and electronic properties. In this study, PPy/Cu/GO films were synthesized with different GO load (0.0, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 wt%) using electrochemical deposition technique. The structural, optical and electrical properties of the composites were evaluated using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and four-point probe methods. XRD results reveal that the GO was completely intercalated and dispersed uniformly in the nanocomposites. The results also revealed that the nanocomposite films are crystalline in nature, with distinct peaks corresponding to indexed miller indices. UV-visible analysis revealed that all of the nanocomposites showed good UV absorbance which was significant in the UV–Vis region of ≈450 nm. The energy band gap decreased with increase in GO load and was found within 3.46 to 2.25 eV, across the range of GO load which fall within the range of energy band gap for photovoltaic applications. The SEM results revealed that the nanocomposite films showed unevenly shaped structures with porous surface which increases with increasing GO loading, while the EDX result revealed the presence of carbon, oxygen nitrogen and copper as fundamental elements deposited. The nanocomposites' four-point probe analysis revealed slight increase in conductivity with low GO content. The incorporation of Cu and GO nanoparticles in PPy matrix provides a better balance and thus improved the photovoltaic properties of PPy/Cu/GO making them suitable for photovoltaic applications.     

Functionalized-graphene/ethylene vinyl acetate co-polymer composites for improved mechanical and thermal properties

The surface functionalization of graphene and the preparation of functionalized graphene/ethylene vinyl acetate co-polymer (EVA) composites by solution mixing are described. Octadecyl amine (ODA) was selected as a surface modifier for the preparation of functionalized graphene (ODA-G) in an aqueous medium. The ODA-G was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which confirm the modification and reduction of graphite oxide to graphene. Atomic force microscopy shows that the average thickness of ODA-G is ca. 1.9 nm. The ODA-G/EVA composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, which confirms the formation of ODA-G/EVA composites. Measurement of tensile properties shows that the tensile strength of the composites (with 1 wt.% ODA-G loading) is ∼74% higher as compared to pure EVA. Dynamic mechanical analysis shows that the storage modulus of the composites is much higher than that of pure EVA. The thermal stability of the composite with 8 wt.% of ODA-G is ∼42 °C higher than that of pure EVA. The electrical resistivity has also decreased in the composites with 8 wt.% of ODA-G.     

Thermal,mechanical and water barrier properties of graphene oxide/polyvinyl alcohol/polyol composite films

The novel polymer composite of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyol(PO) and graphene oxide (GO) was used to prepare the PVA/PO and GO/PVA/PO with different weight percents of GO (0.5 and 1% denoted as (0.5 wt%)GO/PVA/PO and (1 wt%)GO/PVA/PO, respectively) through solution casting blend technique. The structure–properties of all used films were confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and mechanical properties. The SEM results exhibited the uniform and homogeneous dispersion of GO in the PVA/PO blend matrix. The TEM and XRD analysis confirmed the structure and exfoliation of GO nanosheets, respectively. Thermal stability suggested that (0.5 wt%)GO/PVA/PO and (1 wt%) GO/PVA/PO films are more stable than PVA/PO. The tensile strength of (0.5 wt%)GO/PVA/PO and (1 wt%)GO/PVA/PO films reached 270.5% and 1349.6%, respectively, which are higher than that of the PVA/PO film. The decrease in the water absorption (WA) of GO/PVA/PO was found from 110.5 to 38.4%. The physico-mechanical properties of used films suggested that the prepared GO/PVA/PO blend composite films can be applied in food packaging areas.     

Graphene oxide/epoxy composites with enhanced fracture toughness for liquid hydrogen storage

Graphene oxide (GO)/epoxy composites cured by aliphatic dibasic acids have been prepared. The influences of structure of aliphatic dibasic acid and loading of GO on curing process and mechanical properties of epoxy composites were studied. The results show that the reaction activities, gel time of corresponding epoxy-acid system and tensile strength of the formed epoxy resins decrease with the increase of the chain length of aliphatic dibasic acids. Both fracture toughness (>1.96 MPa⋅m^1/2) and elongations at break (>6%) increase with the increase of the chain length of aliphatic dibasic acids. The introduction of GO is helpful to increase the mechanical properties and the gas transmission coefficient of GO/epoxy composites. A maximum of tensile strength and elongations at break were obtained when the loading of GO is 0.6 wt%. The gas transmission coefficient of GO/epoxy composite increases with the increase of GO loading. The excellent mechanical properties and gas leakage resistance coefficient of the formed epoxy composites provides potential application in many fields where conventional brittle epoxy resins are inapplicable.     

Facile regulation of glutaraldehyde-modified graphene oxide for preparing free-standing papers and nanocomposite films

Colloidal suspensions of glutaraldehyde (GA) crosslinked or grafted graphene oxide (GO) sheets were fabricated by simply tailoring the feed sequence. The different structures were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectra and X-ray diffraction. As demonstration of the utilities, the different colloidal suspensions were used to prepare free-standing papers by flow-directed filtration and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-based nanocomposite films by casting. Free-standing papers from GA crosslinked GO sheets exhibited better mechanical properties than unmodified GO paper, while nanocomposite films from GA grafted GO exhibit higher tensile strength and Young’s modulus.     

Effect of Silk Fibroin Reinforcement on the Properties of Potato Starch-Polyvinyl Alcohol Blend Films

Starch and polyvinyl alcohol composite films, reinforced with raw and methylmethacrylate-grafted silk fibroin particles, were prepared by the solution-casting method on leveled plates. Silk fibroin was used as reinforcement for starch and polyvinyl alcohol (St/PVA) blends in order to improve their mechanical and water-resistance properties. The composites were plasticized with citric acid and cross-linked with gluteraldehyde. The reinforced films showed an increase in tensile strength with decrease in elongation at break. The optimized samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and were studied for their antibacterial properties. The biodegradable behavior was studied by the soil burial method.     

Preparation of Cu nanoparticles-modified PA6 composites using CuO as filler

This work focuses on the preparation of copper nanoparticles-modified polyamide 6 composites (denoted as nano-Cu/PA6) by in situ polymerization, with which cupric oxide as metallic copper source is directly reduced to metallic copper in the process of the opening-ring polymerization of ε-caprolactam only using the reducing atmosphere of reaction system. The obtained composites are characterized by means of transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, laser granulometry instrument, and ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy. Moreover, the friction and wear resistance, mechanical strength, and antistatic performance of as-prepared composites are also readily evaluated. The results show that cupric oxide as filler is reduced to metallic copper and the as-reduced copper nanoparticles with 4–5-nm-size clusters separately disperse in polyamide 6 (PA6) matrix. Additionally, the addition content (mass fraction) of cupric oxide has significant effect on the crystalline form of PA6, and γ crystalline form of PA6 is predominant when higher dosage of CuO is introduced to fabricating nano-Cu/PA6 composites. Moreover, introducing a proper amount of CuO filler favors to generate nano-Cu/PA6 composites with improved mechanical properties and wear resistance. Particularly, nano-Cu/PA6 composite prepared at a CuO content of 0.5 % possesses the best tensile strength and wear resistance, showing promising application as a functional polymer–matrix composite.     

LDPE/EVA/graphene nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical and gas permeability properties

In the present work, graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) were incorporated at low‐density polyethylene (LDPE)/ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer blend using solution casting method. Monolayer GO with 1‐nm thickness and good transparency was synthesized using the well‐known Hummers's method. Fourier transform infrared and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy data exhibited efficient reduction of GO with almost high C/O ratio of RGO. Scanning electron microscopy showed the well distribution of GO and RGO within LDPE/EVA polymer matrix. The integrating effects of GO and RGO on mechanical and gas permeability of prepared films were examined. Young's modulus of nanocomposites are improved 65% and 92% by adding 7 wt% of GO and RGO, respectively. The tensile measurements showed that maximum tensile strength emerged in 3 wt% of loading for RGO and 5 wt% for GO. The measured oxygen and carbon dioxide permeability represented noticeably the attenuation of gas permeability in composite films compared with pristine LDPE/EVA blend. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.