pps proceeding - Abstract Preview
pps proceeding
Symposium: S13 - Rubber and elastomers
Oral Presentation
 
 

A comparison of melt and solution mixing on the dispersion of carbon nanotubes in a styrene–Butadiene–styrene block copolymer

Santos João (1)*, Melo Guilherme Henrique França (2), Gonçalvez Andre (2), Eiras José (2), Bretas Rosário Elida Suman (2)

(1) Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa - Paraná - Brazil, (2) Universidade Federal de São Carlos - São Paulo - Brazil

Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/ styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) nanocomposites were prepared by two frequently used approaches, melt and solution mixing. SBS is a thermoplastic elastomer which can self-assembly into well-defined ordered nanostructures. Taking this capability into account, block copolymer materials have long been recognized as scaffolds and used to patter nanoparticles to construct hybrid structures. Therefore, the combination of electrical conductive MWCNTs and SBS in a well-mixed nanocomposite with stable morphology may lead to a material with new and interesting properties for electronic devices. To obtain the equilibrium surface morphology, the SBS film was prepared by solvent casting annealing for 168 h (seven days) at 110 C. The surface morphologies of the SBS specimens were examined by non-contact mode atomic force microscopy (AFM). To produce the nanocomposites by solution the MWCNTs were mixed with SBS using toluene as a solvent. Melt mixed nanocomposites were made using an internal mixer (Haake rheometer, model Rheomix 600p) operating at 150°C, 100 rpm for 7 min. The nanocomposites were characterized by impedance to obtain the AC electrical conductivity, by stress strain tests to obtain the elastic modulus, elongation and tensile at break, and the dispersion of the MWCNT was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that nanocomposites prepared by solution casting showed a higher electrical conductivity than the melted. It was found that the dispersion state of MWCNTs was dependent not only on the concentration of MWCNTs but also the mixing method. Melt mixing led to a much better dispersion of MWCNTs than solution mixing which decresed the conductivity.