pps proceeding - Abstract Preview
pps proceeding
Symposium: S06 - Nanocomposites
Oral Presentation
 
 

Influence of processing history on the mechanical properties and electrical resistivity of polycarbonate – multi-walled carbon nanotubes nanocomposites

Choong Gabriel Y.H. (1)*, De Focatiis Davide S.A. (1)

(1) University of Nottingham - Nottingham - UnitedKingdom

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can significantly change thermoplastic properties with much lower loading content compared to traditional fillers. This preserves attractive polymer properties such as toughness and processability, while adding new functionality such as electrical and thermal properties. Commercially, nanocomposites are delivered as compounded feedstock to manufacturers, who re-melt the granules to form their products. This work investigates the effect of compounding temperature and secondary melt processing on the electrical resistivity and mechanical properties of a nanocomposite. Makrolon 2205 polycarbonate (PC) was melt compounded with 3 wt% Nanocyl NC7000 MWCNTs in a twin screw extruder at T = 230 ‒ 290 oC. Dog-bone specimens were produced by compression moulding (CM) and injection moulding (IM). Electrical resistivity was measured using an in-house fixture. Mechanical properties were determined via Vickers hardness and tensile testing. IM specimens recorded lower electrical conductivity, reduced hardness and increased stiffness compared with CM. Resistivity of CM bars is an order of magnitude higher than in IM bars due to re-agglomeration and time-dependent build-up of the CNT conductive network. Reduced hardness of IM bars can be explained by considering that the slender CNTs are more compliant in bending than in axial deformation. No significant dependence on the compounding temperatures was observed for all studies, attributed to the multiple conductive pathways and low stress transfer efficiency between matrix and filler. The most significant correlation for CM bars is between hardness and resistivity, expected due to the presence of matrix-rich regions. For IM bars, the highest correlation was obtained between elastic modulus and hardness, possibly due to CNT orientation effects. Our finding suggests that the secondary processes are crucial in tailoring final mechanical properties and resistivity of mouldings of percolated PC-MWCNT systems.