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Title: Effect of cooling rate on the properties of high density polyethylene/multi-walled carbon nanotube composites

Abstract

High density polyethylene (HDPE)/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanocomposites were prepared by melt mixing using twin-screw extrusion. The extruded pellets were compression moulded at 200°C for 5min followed by cooling at different cooling rates (20°C/min and 300°C/min respectively) to produce sheets for characterization. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows that the MWCNTs are uniformly dispersed in the HDPE. At 4 wt% addition of MWCNTs composite modulus increased by over 110% compared with the unfilled HDPE (regardless of the cooling rate). The yield strength of both unfilled and filled HDPE decreased after rapid cooling by about 10% due to a lower crystallinity and imperfect crystallites. The electrical percolation threshold of composites, irrespective of the cooling rate, is between a MWCNT concentration of 1∼2 wt%. Interestingly, the electrical resistivity of the rapidly cooled composite with 2 wt% MWCNTs is lower than that of the slowly cooled composites with the same MWCNT loading. This may be due to the lower crystallinity and smaller crystallites facilitating the formation of conductive pathways. This result may have significant implications for both process control and the tailoring of electrical conductivity in the manufacture of conductive HDPE/MWCNT nanocomposites.

Authors:
;  [1];  [2]
  1. School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Queen’s University Belfast, BT9 5AH (United Kingdom)
  2. School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Queen’s University Belfast, BT9 5AH (United Kingdom)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22391858
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
AIP Conference Proceedings
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 1664; Journal Issue: 1; Conference: PPS-30: 30. International Conference of the Polymer Processing Society, Cleveland, OH (United States), 6-12 Jun 2014; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0094-243X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY; CARBON NANOTUBES; COMPRESSION; CONCENTRATION RATIO; COOLING; DENSITY; ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY; EXTRUSION; LOADING; NANOCOMPOSITES; PELLETS; POLYETHYLENES; PROCESS CONTROL; SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; SHEETS; YIELD STRENGTH

Citation Formats

Xiang, Dong, Harkin-Jones, Eileen, and Linton, David. Effect of cooling rate on the properties of high density polyethylene/multi-walled carbon nanotube composites. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4918440.
Xiang, Dong, Harkin-Jones, Eileen, & Linton, David. Effect of cooling rate on the properties of high density polyethylene/multi-walled carbon nanotube composites. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4918440
Xiang, Dong, Harkin-Jones, Eileen, and Linton, David. 2015. "Effect of cooling rate on the properties of high density polyethylene/multi-walled carbon nanotube composites". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4918440.
@article{osti_22391858,
title = {Effect of cooling rate on the properties of high density polyethylene/multi-walled carbon nanotube composites},
author = {Xiang, Dong and Harkin-Jones, Eileen and Linton, David},
abstractNote = {High density polyethylene (HDPE)/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanocomposites were prepared by melt mixing using twin-screw extrusion. The extruded pellets were compression moulded at 200°C for 5min followed by cooling at different cooling rates (20°C/min and 300°C/min respectively) to produce sheets for characterization. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows that the MWCNTs are uniformly dispersed in the HDPE. At 4 wt% addition of MWCNTs composite modulus increased by over 110% compared with the unfilled HDPE (regardless of the cooling rate). The yield strength of both unfilled and filled HDPE decreased after rapid cooling by about 10% due to a lower crystallinity and imperfect crystallites. The electrical percolation threshold of composites, irrespective of the cooling rate, is between a MWCNT concentration of 1∼2 wt%. Interestingly, the electrical resistivity of the rapidly cooled composite with 2 wt% MWCNTs is lower than that of the slowly cooled composites with the same MWCNT loading. This may be due to the lower crystallinity and smaller crystallites facilitating the formation of conductive pathways. This result may have significant implications for both process control and the tailoring of electrical conductivity in the manufacture of conductive HDPE/MWCNT nanocomposites.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4918440},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22391858}, journal = {AIP Conference Proceedings},
issn = {0094-243X},
number = 1,
volume = 1664,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri May 22 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Fri May 22 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}