Preparation and thermomechanical characterisation of graphene nanoplatelets/low-density polyethylene composites

F. Pinto, G. Carotenuto, Michele Meo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Citations (SciVal)
277 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The thermomechanical properties of Graphene Nanoplatelets (GNPs)/low-density polyethylene (LDPE) composites were investigated and characterised to understand the effect of nanoscaled reinforcement in the thermoplastic matrix. Results show that the presence of the filler does not produce a change in the microscopic structure of the polymer. However, on a macroscopic scale, graphene platelets limit the mobility of the polymer chains, resulting in an increase in stiffness and in some cases, strength of the composite. Orientation of Graphene Nanoplatelets in the LDPE matrix was evaluated by testing composites made with two different manufacturing techniques (compression moulding and blown extrusion). A comparison between experimental data and predictions using the Halpin-Tsai model shows that the orientation of the nanoplatelets due to the extrusion process leads to better mechanical properties than those obtained with the randomly oriented graphene resulting from the compression moulding technique.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)745-761
Number of pages17
JournalJournal of Thermoplastic Composite Materials
Volume28
Issue number6
Early online date21 Jun 2013
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2015

Keywords

  • graphene
  • Graphite
  • Halpin-Tsai model
  • low-density polyethylene
  • nanofiller

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Preparation and thermomechanical characterisation of graphene nanoplatelets/low-density polyethylene composites'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this