Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
1466584 Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing 2012 9 Pages PDF
Abstract

Two melt mixing methods generating flow with different characteristics are compared to study the dispersion of 5% w/w carbon nanofibers in polypropylene, namely conventional twin-screw extrusion and the simple application of a converging/diverging flow sequence to the composite melt. The effect of nanofiber surface modification and compatibilization with polypropylene modified with maleic anhydride is also studied. The dispersion of the nanofiber agglomerates through the polymer, the electrical properties of the resulting composites and nanofiber/polymer interface achieved under the different mixing conditions are analyzed. The converging/diverging flow sequence generated a better dispersion as compared with the twin-screw extruder.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Materials Science Ceramics and Composites
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