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    Does the Processing Method Resulting in Different States of an Interconnected Network of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes in Polymeric Blend Nanocomposites Affect EMI Shielding Properties?
    (Washington, DC : ACS Publications, 2018) Pawar, Shital Patangrao; Rzeczkowski, Piotr; Pötschke, Petra; Krause, Beate; Bose, Suryasarathi
    Electromagnetic interference (EMI), an unwanted phenomenon, often affects the reliability of precise electronic circuitry. To prevent this, an effective shielding is prerequisite to protect the electronic devices. In this study, an attempt was made to understand how processing of polymeric blend nanocomposites involving multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) affects the evolving interconnected network structure of MWCNTs and eventually their EMI shielding properties. Thereby, the overall blend morphology and especially the connectivity of the polycarbonate (PC) component, in which the MWCNTs tend to migrate, as well as the perfectness of their migration, and the state of nanotube dispersion are considered. For this purpose, blends of varying composition of PC and poly(methyl methacrylate) were chosen as a model system as they show a phase diagram with lower critical solution temperature type of characteristic. Such blends were processed in two different ways: solution mixing (from the homogeneous state) and melt mixing (in the biphasic state). In both the processes, MWCNTs (3 wt %) were mixed into the blends, and the evolved structures (after phase separation induced by annealing in solution-mixed blends) and the quenched structures (as the blends exit the extruder) were systematically studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Both the set of blends were subjected to the same thermal history, however, under different conditions such as under quiescent conditions (in the case of solution mixing) and under shear (in the case of melt mixing). The electrical volume conductivity and the evolved morphologies of these blend nanocomposites were evaluated and correlated with the measured EMI shielding behavior. The results indicated that irrespective of the type of processing, the MWCNTs localized in the PC component; driven by thermodynamic factors and depending on the blend composition, sea-island, cocontinuous, and phase-inverted structures evolved. Interestingly, the better interconnected network structures of MWCNTs observed using TEM in the solution-mixed samples together with larger nanotube lengths resulted in higher EMI shielding properties (-27 dB at 18 GHz) even if slightly higher electrical volume conductivities were observed in melt-mixed samples. Moreover, the shielding was absorption-driven, facilitated by the dense network of MWCNTs in the PC component of the blends, at any given concentration of nanotubes. Taken together, this study highlights the effects of different blend nanocomposite preparation methods (solution and melt) and the developed morphology and nanotube network structure in MWCNT filled blend nanocomposites on the EMI shielding behavior.
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    Does the Type of Polymer and Carbon Nanotube Structure Control the Electromagnetic Shielding in Melt-Mixed Polymer Nanocomposites?
    (Basel : MDPI, 2020-1-15) Biswas, Sourav; Muzata, Tanyaradzwa S.; Krause, Beate; Rzeczkowski, Piotr; Pötschke, Petra; Bose, Suryasarathi
    A suitable polymer matrix and well dispersed conducting fillers forming an electrically conducting network are the prime requisites for modern age electromagnetic shield designing. An effective polymer-based shield material is designed that can attenuate 99.9% of incident electromagnetic (EM) radiation at a minimum thickness of <0.5 mm. This is accomplished by the choice of a suitable partially crystalline polymer matrix while comparing non-polar polypropylene (PP) with polar polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and a best suited filler nanomaterial by comparing different types of carbon nanotubes such as; branched, single-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, which were added in only 2 wt %. Different types of interactions (polar-polar and CH-π and donor-acceptor) make b-MWCNT more dispersible in the PVDF matrix, which together with high crystallinity resulted in the best electrical conductivity and electromagnetic shielding ability of this composite. This investigation additionally conceals the issues related to the thickness of the shield material just by stacking individual thin nanocomposite layers containing different carbon nanotube (CNT) types with 0.3 mm thickness in a simple manner and finally achieves 99.999% shielding efficiency at just 0.9 mm thickness when using a suitable order of the different PVDF based nanocomposites.
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    Tuneable Dielectric Properties Derived from Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanotubes in PVDF-Based Nanocomposites
    (Washington, DC : ACS Publications, 2018) Pawar, Shital Patangrao; Arjmand, Mohammad; Pötschke, Petra; Krause, Beate; Fischer, Dieter; Bose, Suryasarathi; Sundararaj, Uttandaraman
    Nitrogen-doped multiwall carbon nanotubes (N-MWNTs) with different structures were synthesized by employing chemical vapor deposition and changing the argon/ethane/nitrogen gas precursor ratio and synthesis time, and broadband dielectric properties of their poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-based nanocomposites were investigated. The structure, morphology, and electrical conductivity of synthesized N-MWNTs were assessed via Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and powder conductivity techniques. The melt compounded PVDF nanocomposites manifested significantly high real part of the permittivity (ϵ′) along with low dissipation factor (tan δϵ) in 0.1 kHz to 1 MHz frequency range, suggesting use as efficient charge-storage materials. Longer synthesis time resulted in enhanced carbon purity as well as higher thermal stability, determined via TGA analysis. The inherent electrical conductivity of N-MWNTs scaled with the carbon purity. The charge-storage ability of the developed PVDF nanocomposites was commensurate with the amount of the nitrogen heteroatom (i.e., self-polarization), carbon purity, and inherent electrical conductivity of N-MWNTs and increased with better dispersion of N-MWNTs in PVDF.
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    Graphene Derivatives Doped with Nickel Ferrite Nanoparticles as Excellent Microwave Absorbers in Soft Nanocomposites
    (Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2017) Pawar, Shital Patangrao; Gandi, Mounika; Arief, Injamamul; Krause, Beate; Pötschke, Petra; Bose, Suryasarathi
    Herein, we report the development of soft polymeric composites containing multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs, 1–3 wt%) and graphene derivatives doped with nickel ferrite nanoparticles (rGO@NF, 10 wt%) as lightweight microwave absorbers. The soft nanocomposites were designed using melt-mixed blends of varying compositions of PC (polycarbonate) and SAN (poly styrene acrylonitrile) by compartmentalized functional nanoparticles in one of the components of the blend (here PC). Maximum attenuation of the incoming electromagnetic (EM) radiation mainly through absorption was achieved. The hetero-dielectric media at microscopic length scale in the PC component provided large interfaces which facilitated multiple scattering thereby attenuating the incoming EM radiation. This strategy of positioning the functional nanoparticles in one of the components in the blends resulted in significantly enhanced shielding effectiveness (SE), at any given concentration of MWNTs, in contrast to PC based composites. This enhancement in SE was realized in the special morphology of the bicomponent PC/SAN=60/40 wt% blends where both the components are continuous. The enhanced SE in co-continuous blends is due to combined effect of enhanced electrical conductivity (more precisely due to interconnected network of the nanoparticles) and the presence of a hetero-dielectric media generating large scattering interfaces. For instance, the PC/SAN (60/40 wt%) co-continuous blend containing 3 wt% MWNTs and 10 wt% rGO@NF manifested in a total shielding effectiveness (SET) of −32.3 dB (i. e. more than 99.9 % attenuation of incoming EM radiation) mainly through absorption.