pps proceeding - Abstract Preview
pps proceeding
Symposium: S02 - Nanocomposites and filled Polymers
Oral Presentation
 
 

Effect of Superhydrophobic functionalized Graphene sheets on the Phase Behavior and Electrical Conductivity in Dynamically Asymmetric LCST Blend

Kazem Farahzadi Setareh (1), Goharpey Fatemeh (2)*, Khademzadeh Yeganeh Jafar (3), heydarnejad moghadam mohammad (4)

(1) Department of Polymer Engineering and Color Technology, Amirkabir University of Technology, - Tehran - Iran, (2) Amirkabir University of Technology - Tehran - Iran, (3) Polymer Engineering Group, Faculty of Engineering, Qom University of Technology - Qom - Iran, (4) Amirkabir university of technology,Department of polymer engineering and color technology,Iran - Tehran - Iran

In this work, we use a polystyrene/poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PS/PVME) model phase-separating system, which exhibits a lower critical solution temperature within the experimental temperature window. Both polymers are fully amorphous and the large difference in their glass transition temperatures (about 125oC), makes their blends dynamically asymmetric. The main objective of this work is to investigate the addition of nanoparticles with a preferential affinity to the minor component as a potential route to induce desired phase-separating morphology. For this purpose, two different types of graphene and superhydrophobic functionalized graphene sheets are used. Superhydrophobic modified graphene sheets self-assemble in the bulk of PS-rich phase (slower dynamics) and restrain the dynamics of polymer chains enhancing the dynamic asymmetry of the system and caused to high electrical conductivity through double percolation event at a very low volume fraction of nanoparticles. The efficiency of Superhydrophobic functionalized graphene sheets in controlling the kinetics of phase separation is found to be superior compared to graphene indicating the significance of chain dynamics.