Carbon nanotube‐filled ethylene/vinylacetate copolymers: from in situ catalyzed polymerization to high‐performance electro‐conductive nanocomposites |
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| Authors: | Giuliana Gorrasi Stéphane Bredeau Chiara Di Candia Giovanni Patimo Salvatore De Pasquale Philippe Dubois |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, , 84084 Fisciano (Salerno);2. CEA‐LITEN, , 38054 Grenoble cedex 9 –, France;3. Department of Physics “E.R. Caianiello”, University of Salerno, , 84084 Fisciano (Salerno);4. Centre of Innovation and Research in Materials & Polymers (CIRMAP), Laboratory of Polymeric and Composite Materials, University of Mons ‐ UMONS, , 7000 Mons ‐, Belgium |
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| Abstract: | Preparation and analysis of morphology, mechanical, and electrical properties of nanocomposites based on ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer and commercial multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was achieved. The used techniques for obtaining nanocomposites were the conventional melt‐mixing and the in situ ethylene polymerization/coating reaction, as catalyzed directly from CNT surface, with different polyethylene content (i.e. 55.0% and 66.6%). Nanocomposites were also prepared using crude CNTs. The incorporation in the molten state of such polyethylene surface‐coated CNTs, used as “masterbatch,” in EVA was demonstrated a good strategy for allowing the complete destructuring of the native bundle‐like aggregates, leading to the preparation of polymer nanocomposites with largely improved properties, even at very low nanofiller content. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
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| Keywords: | EVA carbon nanotubes polymerization filling technique |
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