Development of polymer composites using modified, high-structural integrity graphene platelets

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：Jun Ma ; Qingshi Meng ; Izzuddin Zaman ; Shenmin Zhu ; Andrew Michelmore ; Nobuyuki Kawashima ; Chun H. Wang ; Hsu-Chiang Kuan
• 关键词：A. Functional composites ; A. Nano composites ; A. Nano particles ; B. Fracture toughness ; B. Interface ; Graphene (nominated)
• 刊名：Composites Science and Technology
• 出版年：31 January, 2014
• 年：2014
• 卷：91
• 期：Complete
• 页码：82-90
• 全文大小：2113 K

文摘

Previous studies on polymer/graphene composites have mainly utilized either reduced graphene oxide or graphite nanoplatelets of over 10 nm in thickness. In this study we covalently modified 3-nm thick graphene platelets (GnPs) by the reaction between the GnPs鈥?epoxide groups and the end-amine groups of a commercial long-chain surfactant (M_w = 2000), compounded the modified GnPs (m-GnPs) with a model polymer epoxy, and investigated the structure and properties of both m-GnPs and their epoxy composites. A low Raman I_D/I_G ratio of 0.13 was found for m-GnPs corresponding to high structural integrity. A percolation threshold of electrical conductivity was observed at 0.32 vol% m-GnPs, and the 0.98 vol% m-GnPs improved the Young鈥檚 modulus, fracture energy release rate and glass transition temperature of epoxy by 14%, 387% and 13%, respectively. These significantly improved properties are credited to: (i) the low Raman I_D/I_G ratio of GnPs, maximizing the structural integrity and thus conductivity, stiffness and strength inherited from its sister graphene, (ii) the low thickness of GnPs, minimizing the damaging effect of the poor through-plane mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of graphene, (iii) the high-molecular weight surfactant, leading to uniformly dispersed GnPs in the matrix, and (iv) a covalently bonded interface between m-GnPs and matrix, more effectively transferring load/electron across interface.