Polymer/graphite nanocomposites properties

Wakabayashi, K., Pierre, C., Dikin, D. A., Ruoff, R. S., Ramanathan, T, Brinson L C. Polymer-graphite nanocomposites Effective dispersion and major property enhancement via solid-state shear pulverization. Macromolecules (2008), 41(6), 1905-1908. 

Ramanathan, T., Stankovich, S., Dikin, D. A., Liu, H., Shen, H., Nguyen, S. T., Brinson. L. C., (2007), Graphitic nanofillers in PMMA nanocomposites—An investigation of particle size and dispersion and their influence on nanocomposite properties, Polymer Science Part B Polymer Physics, Vol. 45, No. 15, pp. 2097-2112, ISSN 1099-0488. 

Mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties of polymer/graphite/graphene nanocomposites are described in this section. 

It is necessary to disperse the nanomaterials in the best possible manner, especially those layered structures such as graphite, graphene or clays. It is important to obtain very thin (ca. one nanometer) and very wide (ca. 500 nanometers) nanostructures dispersed in the polymer matrices to achieve optimal gas permeability and to improve their mechanical properties without affecting structural quality, using a small amount of the nanomaterial. The particle orientation also has an important effect on the properties of the nanocomposite. Nanoparticles need to be dispersed within the polymer so that are parallel to the material s surface. This condition ensures a maximum tor-... 

Carbon materials provide electrical conduction through the pi bonding system that exists between adjacent carbon atoms in the graphite structure [182]. Electrical properties of nanocomposites based on conducting nanofillers such as EG [183-187], CNTs [188-190], and CNFs [191], dispersed in insulating polymer matrix have found widespread applications in industrial sectors. 

Most of the previous studies on flame retardation of polymer nanocomposites are focused on the relationship between macroscopic morphologies of chars and the flammability properties. Fang et al. studied the relationship between evolution of the microstructure, viscoelasticity and graphitization degree of chars and the flammability of polymers during combustion (68). The flame retar-dancy of ABS/clay /MWNTs nanocomposites was strongly affected by the formation of a network structure. Flammability properties... 

Graphene-polymer nanocomposites share with other nanocomposites the characteristic of remarkable improvements in properties and percolation thresholds at very low filler contents. Although the majority of research has focused on polymer nanocomposites based on layered materials of natural origin, such as an MMT type of layered silicate compounds or synthetic clay (layered double hydroxide), the electrical and thermal conductivity of clay minerals are quite poor [177]. To overcome these shortcomings, carbon-based nanofillers, such as CB, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, and graphite have been introduced to the preparation of polymer nanocomposites. Among these, carbon nanotubes have proven to be very effective as conductive fillers. An important drawback of them as nanofillers is their high production costs, which... 

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