A study on the fabrication of plasticized polystyrene-carbon nanotube nanocomposites for foaming

Abstract

The impregnation of carbon nanotubes within fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) is a sought after capability for the advancement of composite systems. This study evaluates the novel processing of a carbon nanotube nanocomposite that has been developed to incorporate varying carbon nanotube loadings within final composite foams. This material is manufactured through a melt mix process of carbon nanotubes and polystyrene at $2.0-13.0 wt.% that further underwent a plasticization process in an acetone solvent. The chemical foaming agent 2.2 0-Azobi(isobutyronitrile) is used to facilitate foaming at a constant 3.0 wt.% concentration. The foamed nanocomposite results in a carbon nanotube-loaded micro-porous structure showing capabilities of delivering localized carbon nanotube placement within fiber composite laminate systems. This report's aim is to illustrate the effects of plasticizing polystyrene-carbon nanotube nanocomposite and calendaring the softened material to form foams imbedded with carbon nanotubes (carbon nanotubes). Scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were the tools that are used to characterize the materials at the various morphologies with their findings inclusive.

The preparation of carbon nanofillers and their role on the performance of variable polymer nanocomposites

“…Polymer films and foams are cost-effective and have weightaffected properties and usefulness of these materials are realized in applications when impact strength, thermals, and electrical insulation and lightweight structures are desired. Dennis et al had reported fiber-reinforced polymer composite with CNTs prepared at low-temperature calendaring process for the production of foamable thin film plasticized materials [103]. AIBN was used as foaming agent and acetone is to plasticize the nanocomposites.…”

Effect of carbon allotropes on foam formation, cure characteristics, mechanical and thermal properties of NRF/carbon composites

“…Another reason of different morphological change between rubber foam or polymer foam/carbon composites and rubber or polymer foam without carbon filler was the nucleating effect of the interface between carbon and polymer matrix which might form the small bubble with low cell density of polymer matrix compared to the polymer foam without carbon filler. 27 NRF-GPE3 (Figure 3(g)) has the smallest bubble size following by NRF-MWCNT3, NRF-CDB-3, NRF-GPT3, NRF-CB3 and NRF-GO3 (Figure 3(f), (e), (d), (c), (b)), respectively. The average bubble diameter of NRF/carbon composites was calculated by arithmetic mean method (truex¯) from at least 200 bubbles per formula analyzed by image J software with statistics.…”

Effect of silica nanoparticles on the impregnation process, foaming dynamics and cell microstructure of styrene-methyl methacrylate copolymer/n-pentane foams

“…For this purpose, some techniques such as rapid pressure drop, 11–15 high sorption pressure at low temperature, 16 selecting of high melt strength polymeric matrix, 17 polymer blending, 18–20 and incorporation of nucleating agents are used. 21–26 Furthermore, among nucleating agents, the nanoparticles are of more interest since they have high specific surface area and can create more heterogeneous nucleation sites into polymer matrix. Many studies have focused on the effect of nucleating agent as well as nanoparticles on the final morphology of prepared foams, but the present study focuses on the foaming process.…”