Temperature dependence of creep and recovery behaviors of polymer composites filled with chemically reduced graphene oxide

Resistance to time-dependent plastic deformation of polymer composite materials is a crucial requirement in their application for long-term durability and reliability. Herein, creep and recovery behaviors of polystyrene (PS) composites filled with various loadings of chemically reduced graphene oxide (CRGO) were investigated at different environment temperatures. As expected, incorporation of CRGO into PS polymer increases the thermal stability, glass transition temperature and elastic modulus, although the tensile strength of the composite has a slight decrease. It was found that the creep deformation and strain rate of PS polymer reduce with decreasing temperature and with increasing loading of CRGO. A significant improvement in the recovered strain of PS was also obtained after the presence of CRGO. Based on the analytical modelings (Burger's model and Weibull distribution function) and experimental results, the role of CRGO on improving the creep and recovery performance of thermoplastics was proposed and discussed.