Manufacturing and mechanical, thermal and electrical characterization of graphene loaded chitosan composites

A detailed characterization of Graphene (Gr) loaded chitosan films was conducted in this study. Thermal characterization of Gr loaded CS films was made by using thermogravimetric analysis and thermal conductivity measurement. 1, 2, and 3 wt% loading of Gr into CS increased the thermal conductivity of CS by 25, 258 and 244%, respectively. The effect of Gr loading into CS on electrical resistivity properties of CS was determined by surface resistivity measurements. 1 wt% loading of Gr decreased the surface resistivity of CS film from 4.7 × 105 Ω/sq to 4.4 × 103 Ω/sq. Viscoelastic properties of CS-Gr composite film samples were analyzed by using dynamic mechanical analysis. Mechanical, morphological, crystallographic properties of composite films were determined by tensile tests, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations, and X-ray diffraction analyses, respectively. The storage modulus of CS was increased by 32% with 1 wt% Gr loading into CS. With the loading of 1 wt% of Gr, tensile strength and Young's modulus of CS film increased by 128%, and 52%, respectively. The hydrophilicity of the CS and CS-Gr composites films was examined by contact angle measurements.