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Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were oxidized by two different acid treatments and further functionalized with itaconic acid (IA). The functionalized MWCNTs were used to fabricate Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) composites by melt mixing. The presence of functional groups on the surface of the treated MWCNTs was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The MWCNTs oxidized with a concentrated mixture of HNO₃ and H₂SO₄ exhibited more oxygen containing functional groups (OH, COOH) but also suffer larger structural degradation than those oxidized by a mild treatment based on diluted HNO₃ followed by H₂O₂. PET composites were fabricated using the oxidized-only and oxidized followed by functionalization with IA MWCNTs. PET composites fabricated with MWCNT oxidized by mild conditions showed improved tensile strength and failure strain, while harsh MWCNT oxidation render them overly brittle.

A novel evaluation method was developed for Raman microscopic quantitative characterization of polymer waste. Car shredder polymer waste was divided into different density fractions by magnetic density separation (MDS) technique, and each fraction was investigated by Raman mapping, which is capable of detecting the components being present even in low concentration. The only method available for evaluation of the mapping results was earlier to assign each pixel to a component visually and to count the number of different polymers on the Raman map. An automated method is proposed here for pixel classification, which helps to detect the different polymers present and enables rapid assignment of each pixel to the appropriate polymer. Six chemometric methods were tested to provide a basis for the pixel classification, among which multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) provided the best results. The MCR-ALS based pixel identification method was then used for the quantitative characterization of each waste density fraction, where it was found that the automated method yields accurate results in a very short time, as opposed to manual pixel counting method which may take hours of human work per dataset.

Nanocomposites were fabricated based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA), cured with triethylenetetramine (TETA) and filled with: a) high conductivity carbon black (CB) and b) amino-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The full dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) spectra, obtained for the thermomechanical characterization of the partially cured DGEBA/TETA/CB and water saturated DGEBA/TETA/MWCNT composites, reveal a complex behaviour as the α-relaxation appears to consist of more than one individual peaks. By employing some basic calculations along with an optimization procedure, which utilizes the pseudo-Voigt profile function, the experimental data have been successfully analyzed. In fact, additional values of sub-glass transition temperature (T_i) corresponding to subrelaxation mechanisms were introduced besides the dominant process. Thus, the physical sense of multiple networks in the composites is investigated and the glass transition temperature T_g is more precisely determined, as the DMA α-relaxation peaks can be reconstructed by the accumulation of individual peaks. Additionally, a novel term, the index of the network homogeneity (IH), is proposed to effectively characterize the degree of statistical perfection of the network.

New thermo-reversible networks were obtained from poly(vinyl furfural) and multifunctional maleimide monomers by Diels-Alder (DA) and retro-DA reactions. The poly(vinyl furfural) having acetalization degree of 15 and 25% were obtained by the acid-catalyzed homogenous acetalization of poly(vinyl alcohol) with 2-furfural in a nonaqueous media. The thermal and viscoelastic behaviour of the cross-linked materials have been studied via differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. The networks exhibit considerable swelling in those organic solvents that dissolve both poly(vinyl furfural) and bismaleimides; by heating in aprotic dipolar solvents at 150°C, they become soluble.

A simple method of solvent exfoliation/refining of direct-graphite nanoplatelets for their better incorporation into a polymer matrix is presented. We demonstrate the method for polystyrene. The method relies on sonication in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone solvent, with surfactant assistance. A small amount of polystyrene is added to the solvent in order to increase the viscosity, this enhancing the exfoliation process and resulting in formation of a polymeric layer on graphene for its better incorporation in the polymer matrix. Polystyrene-coated thin graphene stacks form a stable dispersion, while thicker graphite nanoplatelets settle out. Thus bulk separation of thin and thick graphene stacks takes place. The polystyrene-coated thin graphene stacks are studied using Transmission Electron Microscopy in two ways: (i) we calculate the number of graphene layers forming thin graphene stacks, and (ii) we employ Selected Area Diffraction to confirm our image analysis results by checking the intensity ratio (1100) and (2100) deflections in the diffraction patterns. Five layers is found to be the cut-off number, that is there are no stacks >5 layers, and 3 layer stacks are dominantly present. The average largest in-plane dimension is found to be approximately 2.5 µm (reduction by 50%).

This contribution concerns preparation and characterization of polypropylene (PP)/poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) melt-mixed blends in the presence of organically-modified montmorillonite nanoclays and functional compatibilizers. Immiscibility and nanocomposite formation were confirmed via transmission electron microscopy. An intercalated structure was observed by wide angle X-ray diffraction technique. Crystallization, and melting characteristics were studied by differential scanning calorimetry in both isothermal and non-isothermal modes, supplemented by temperature modulated DSC (TMDSC). A concurrent crystallization was found for both polymeric components in the blends. Whereas blending favored PP crystallizability, it interrupted that of PTT. The addition compatibilizers interfered with rate, temperature, and degree of crystallization of PP and PTT. On the contrary, nanoclays incorporation increased crystallizability of each individual component. However, as for blend nanocomposite samples, the way the crystallization behavior changed was established to depend on the type of nanoclay. Based on kinetic analysis, isothermal crystallization nucleation followed athermal mechanism, while that of non-isothermal obeyed thermal mode. Addition of nanoclays shifted nucleation mechanism from athermal to thermal mode.

Herein, investigation on synergistic effect during network formation for conductive network constructed with carbon nanofillers in different dimensions is conducted. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and carbon black (CB) are employed as conductive fillers in this system. Morphological control of the conductive network is realized by adjusting the ratio between different fillers. Classical percolation threshold theory and adjusted excluded volume theory are used to analyze the electrical percolating behavior of these systems. It is observed that the percolation threshold of hybrid fillers filled conductive polymer composites (CPCs) is much lower than that of MWNTs or CB filled CPCs, and it can be reduced from 2.4 to 0.21 wt% by replacing half of the MWNTs with CB. Possible mechanism of this phenomenon is discussed together with morphological observation. A model is proposed to understand the mechanism of the percolation behavior in the composites containing various proportions of nanofillers. Our work is important for the design and preparation of low cost conductive polymer composites with novel electrical property.

The present study investigates the formation mechanism of hollow SnO₂ nanofibers and the form of nanograin growth in nanofibers. SnO₂ hollow nanofibers were fabricated by directly annealing electrospun polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/Sn precursor composite nanofibers. In this approach, an appropriate proportion of PVP/Sn precursor with co-solvents established a system to form core/shell PVP/Sn precursor structure, and then PVP was decomposed quickly which acted as sacrificial template to keep fibrous structure and there existed a Sn precursor/SnO₂ concentration gradient to form hollow SnO₂ nanofibers due to the Kirkendall effect and surface diffusion during the calcination process. This deduction was also confirmed by experimental observations using transmission electron microscopy. The study suggested that surface diffusion and lattice diffusion were both driving force for nanograin growth on the surface of SnO₂ nanofibers. As supporting evidence, the tetragonal rutile SnO₂ hollow nanofibers were also characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis.