No abstract

This study demonstrates that solid-state hot-stretching is an efficacious pathway via which to achieve interfacial enhancement between poly(p-phenylene sulfide) (PPS) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Samples of PPS/MWCNT composite were fabricated via a two-fold procedure involving compression molding followed by hot-stretching, and significant mechanical reinforcement was realized in the prepared nanocomposites. The interfacial shear strength obtained under 200% stretching strain was about eight times of that obtained in the unstretched (isotropic) counterpart. Large stretching strains, such as 200%, even could induce epitaxial crystallization of PPS lamellae on the surface of MWCNT monofilaments. Moreover, strong p-p interactions between the benzene rings on the backbones of PPS and the sp 2 carbon lattice surface of MWCNTs appeared for highly oriented PPS chains and MWCNT monofilaments. A comprehensive structural analysis suggested that in addition to the orientation of both the PPS crystals and MWCNTs, the change in PPS crystallinity and the confinement effect of the amorphous PPS chains, strong p-p interactions and epitaxial crystallization induced via hot-stretching orientation are mainly responsible for the prominent mechanical reinforcement observed. POLYM. COMPOS., 00:000-000, 2018.