The role of carbon nanoparticles in epoxy‐based nanocomposites modified with (poly[polypropylene oxide]‐block‐poly[ethylene oxide]‐block‐poly[propylene oxide]) triblock copolymers on phase morphology and mechanical properties

Abstract

The main goal of this work is to show the role of carbon nanoparticle geometry and poly(ethylene oxide):poly(propylene oxide) (PEG:PPG) ratio on the miscibility, morphology, and final properties of an epoxy resin modified with triblock copolymers PPG-block-PEG-block-PPG (PPG-b-PEG-b-PPG). The employed copolymers have different PEG:PPG ratios in their molecular structure. One of them is miscible and the other is immiscible in epoxy resin. The used carbon nanoparticles were multiwalled carbon nanotubes, graphene nanoplatelets, and carbon black in a concentration of 0.5 wt/wt% for all nanoparticles. Adding the nanoparticles did not influence the miscibility of the PPG-b-PEG-b-PPG copolymer in the resin. However, the different geometries of the nanoparticles interfered in the dispersion, reflecting on the mechanical and thermal properties of the epoxy-based nanocomposites. Nanocomposites in a miscible system with graphene nanoparticles showed a 10% increase in Young's modulus over the neat resin. Immiscible systems with carbon black nanoparticles presented K Ic values 81% higher than the neat matrix, while the numerical value K Ic was only 6.5% higher than the neat resin for the miscible ones. Besides, a synergistic effect was observed between the copolymer/ nanoparticles on the toughness of the nanocomposites. Finally, the nanoparticles minimized the negative effect of the block copolymer on Young's modulus and the glass transition temperature of the neat resin. K E Y W O R D S block copolymer, mechanical properties, morphology, nanocomposites 1 | INTRODUCTION Epoxy resins with block copolymer systems have been investigated by several authors. [1-6] Block copolymers are the focus of many research activities because of their intrinsic ability to form micro or organized nanostructures. [7,8] For epoxy nanostructures to form, the copolymers must be composed of a block which is

The Influence of the Molecular Architecture of the Peg: Ppg Triblock Copolymer on the Properties of Epoxy Nanocomposites

“…The used block copolymer mass fraction was 20% and the nanoparticle mass fraction was 0.25%. The mixing method for the epoxy, epoxy/copolymer and nanocomposite/copolymer system was the same as that of Silva et al 18 . The nanoparticles were dispersed in the block copolymer through mechanical stirring and high energy sonication and, then, the epoxy matrix was inserted and stirred for 10 minutes before the hardener was added.…”

Enhance the mechanical properties of epoxy resin reinforced with functionalized graphene oxide nanocomposites prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization

“…Nowadays, block copolymers are often added to epoxy resins as toughening agents. [18][19][20] The block copolymers undergo reaction-induced microphase separation and can self-assemble at different concentrations into different nanostructures, such as wormlike micelle, spherical micelle and vesicle. [21][22][23] It is because of the existence of these structures that the block polymers can have a toughening effect.…”

Amphiphilic Block Copolymer Grafted Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Based Hierarchical Nanohybrids for Effective Epoxy Toughening

“…Recently, Yuan et al grafted styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) block copolymer onto a CNT and incorporated it in an epoxy matrix. Block copolymers and nanofillers have also been incorporated independently in epoxy to enhance the properties of epoxy and to analyze the synergistic effect . Because the grafted form has not yet been introduced in epoxy, we aim to investigate the possibility of grafting the block copolymer onto MWCNTs.…”

“…Block copolymers and nanofillers have also been incorporated independently in epoxy to enhance the properties of epoxy and to analyze the synergistic effect. 34 Because the grafted form has not yet been introduced in epoxy, we aim to investigate the possibility of grafting the block copolymer onto MWCNTs. In this study, amphiphilic block copolymer is successfully grafted onto MWCNTs using the "Grafting to" approach.…”