Matrix‐polymer‐functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes as a highly efficient toughening agent for matrix polymers |
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| Authors: | Chia‐Ming Chang Keh‐Ying Hsu Ying‐Ling Liu |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Chemical Engineering and R&D Center for Membrane Technology, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chungli, Taoyuan 32023, Taiwan;2. Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan |
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| Abstract: | Matrix‐polymer‐functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are demonstrated as a highly efficient toughening agent for matrix polymers. With poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) as the matrix polymer, the PVDF/MWCNT‐PVDF nanocomposite films show high toughness. With a small load amount of MWCNT‐PVDF (0.07 wt %), the nanocomposite film shows a yield point and a constant‐stress extension region in stress–strain tests, compared with the typical low‐extensibility feature of neat PVDF film. The PVDF/MWCNT‐PVDF‐0.7 film exhibits a 180‐fold increase of toughness and about 38‐fold increase in strain at break compared with neat PVDF film. This toughening effect is attributed to (a) homogeneous dispersion of MWCNT‐PVDF in PVDF, (b) the high efficiency of load‐transfer across MWCNT/PVDF interface, and (c) the long length of the MWCNTs. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012 |
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| Keywords: | carbon nanotube poly(vinylidene fluoride) toughness |
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