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    Effects of synthesis catalyst and temperature on broadband dielectric properties of nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube/polyvinylidene fluoride nanocomposites
    (New York, NY [u.a.] : Pergamon Press, 2016) Ameli, A.; Arjmand, M.; Pötschke, Petra; Krause, Beate; Sundararaj, U.
    This study reports on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube (N-CNT)/polymer nanocomposites exhibiting relatively high and frequency independent real permittivity (ϵ′) together with low dielectric loss (tan δ). N-CNTs were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition, and their nanocomposites were prepared by melt-mixing with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). In the synthesis of N-CNTs, three catalysts of Co, Fe and Ni, and three temperatures of 650, 750 and 950 °C were employed. The morphology, aspect ratio, synthesis yield, remaining residue, nitrogen content, nitrogen bonding type, and powder conductivity of N-CNTs, and the morphology, polar crystalline phase, and broadband dielectric properties of N-CNT/PVDF nanocomposites were investigated. The results revealed that by proper selection of synthesis catalyst (Fe) and temperature (650 °C and 950 °C), nitrogen doping generated polarizable nanotubes via providing local polarization sites, and resulted in nanocomposites with favorable dielectric properties for charge storage applications at N-CNT loadings as low as 1.0 wt%. As a result, 3.5 wt% (N-CNT)Fe/950°C/PVDF nanocomposites exhibited an insulative behavior with ϵ' = 23.12 and tan δ = 0.05 at 1 kHz, a combination superior to that of PVDF, i.e., ϵ' = 8.4 and tan δ = 0.03 and to those of percolative nanocomposites, e.g., ϵ' = 71.20 and tan δ = 63.20 for 3.5 wt% (N-CNT)Fe/750°C/PVDF. Also, the relationships between the dielectric properties, N-CNT structure, and nanocomposite morphology were identified.
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    Methods to characterize the dispersability of carbon nanotubes and their length distribution
    (Weinheim : Wiley-VCH Verl., 2012) Krause, Beate; Mende, Mandy; Petzold, Gudrun; Boldt, Regine; Pötschke, Petra
    Two main properties of carbon nanotube (CNT) materials are discussed in this contribution. First, a method to characterize the dispersability of CNT materials in aqueous surfactant solutions in presented, which also allows conclusions towards the dispersability in other media, like polymer melts. On the other hand it is shown, how the length of CNTs before and after processing, e.g., after melt mixing with thermoplastics, can be quantified. Both methods are illustrated with examples and the practical relevance is shown. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
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    Nanofiller dispersion, morphology, mechanical behavior, and electrical properties of nanostructured styrene-butadiene-based triblock copolymer/CNT composites
    (Basel : MDPI, 2019) Staudinger, Ulrike; Satapathy, Bhabani K.; Jehnichen, Dieter
    A nanostructured linear triblock copolymer based on styrene and butadiene with lamellar morphology is filled with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) of up to 1 wt% by melt compounding. This study deals with the dispersability of the MWCNTs within the nanostructured matrix and its consequent impact on block copolymer (BCP) morphology, deformation behavior, and the electrical conductivity of composites. By adjusting the processing parameters during melt mixing, the dispersion of the MWCNTs within the BCP matrix are optimized. In this study, the morphology and glass transition temperatures (Tg) of the hard and soft phase are not significantly influenced by the incorporation of MWCNTs. However, processing-induced orientation effects of the BCP structure are reduced by the addition of MWCNT accompanied by a decrease in lamella size. The stress-strain behavior of the triblock copolymer/MWCNT composites indicate higher Young’s modulus and pronounced yield point while retaining high ductility (strain at break ~ 400%). At a MWCNT content of 1 wt%, the nanocomposites are electrically conductive, exhibiting a volume resistivity below 3 × 103 Ω·cm. Accordingly, the study offers approaches for the development of mechanically flexible functional materials while maintaining a remarkable structural property profile.
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    Correlation of Microstructure, Rheological and Morphological Characteristics of Synthesized Polypropylene (PP) Reactor Blends Using Homogeneous Binary Metallocene Catalyst
    (Basel : MDPI, 2017) Vaezi, Javid; Nekoomanesh, Mehdi; Khonakdar, Hossein Ali; Jafari, Seyed Hassan; Mojarrad, Alireza
    A novel binary homogeneous catalyst system based on (I): rac-Me2Si(2-Me-4-PhIn)2ZrCl2 and (II): (2-PhIn)2ZrCl2 catalysts at various molar ratios was utilized for the synthesis of polypropylene (PP) reactor blends with bimodal molecular weight distribution (MWD). The results of gel permeation chromatography analyses revealed that the catalyst (I) was responsible for the production of i-PP with high molecular weight (MW) while the individual use of catalyst (II) led to the production of an elastomeric PP with relatively low MW. However, application of the binary catalyst system led to high MW bimodal MWD products being highly dependent on the catalysts’ molar ratios. Increasing the molar ratio of catalyst (II) to catalyst (I) resulted in a notable enhancement of the products’ complex viscosity due to the increased MW, a higher level of chains’ entanglements and formation of amorphous blocks along the polymer chains. All products exhibited a single relaxation that shifted towards longer times upon changing the catalysts’ molar ratios. Scanning electron microscopy results revealed that the fracture surface of the blends, synthesized by the binary catalyst system, became more heterogeneous in comparison with the products obtained by the individual use of the catalyst (I). The observed heterogeneity was found to increase by increasing the amount of catalyst (II). Such morphological change was further corroborated by the dynamic rheological data, indicating a promising correlation between the linear rheological results and the morphological features of the synthesized PP reactor blends.