On the Influence of Carbon Nanotubes on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene

Abstract

One of the most interesting and promising materials of our time is carbon nanotubes. Most applications of nanotubes are associated with the possibility of combining them with other materials in the form of alloys, mixtures, composites or hybrid materials. In particular, the idea of including carbon nanotubes as a filler in various polymer-based matrices (for example, traditional polymers such as thermoplastics, thermosetting materials or elastomers, as well as conjugated polymers) for the formation of polymer/carbon nanotube nanocomposites has revolutionized materials science and engineering. The introduction of carbon nanotubes into the composite structure affects the structure and properties of the polymer binder, as well as the composite material as a whole. Currently, there are no experimental developments on the basis of which the introduction, distribution and stabilization of the dispersion of carbon nanotubes in polymer composites would be implemented in industrial technology. The development of the most effective methods for introducing carbon nanotubes into polymer materials and determining their effect on the physical and mechanical properties of polymers is an urgent and priority task. It is possible that these methods will be able to find application in the industrial production of polymer composite materials intended for use and operation in various extreme conditions (whether it is high temperatures, erosion, high force exposure or highly acidic/highly alkaline environments). The main physical and mechanical properties of polypropylene samples saturated with carbon nanotubes taken at different concentrations (0; 0.01; 0.05 and 0.1 wt. %), who found that the addition of CNT in large quantities negatively affects the tensile and bending strength limits, which may be associated with an increase in the degree of heterogeneity of the structure and the appearance of large agglomerates, which will be points of stress concentration. With an increase in the mass fraction of carbon nanotubes in the polymer nanocomposite, the tangent of the dielectric loss angle increases, which leads to better conductivity of the sample containing a larger number of nanotubes. This may be due to the fact that nanotubes become conductors of electric current in the volume of the polymer matrix.