Effect of screw configuration on the dispersion and properties of polypropylene/multiwalled carbon nanotube composite

Abstract

The effect of extruder screw configuration on the dispersion and properties of compatibilised polypropylene (PP)/multi‐walled carbon nanotube (MCNT) composite is investigated. Three principle screw designs with mainly conveying elements (medium intensity), kneading elements (high intensity), and folding elements (chaotic mixing) were used to prepare polypropylene nanocomposites containing 4wt% of maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAH‐g‐PP) compatibilizer and different nanotube loadings. The effect of each screw configuration and nanotube loading on the tensile, rheological, and electrical properties of the nanocomposites were studied. The screw configurations were found to have a strong influence on the electrical resistivity while only slightly affected the tensile properties of the nanocomposites. Scanning electron microscopy examinations showed that the use of screw configuration consisting of kneading elements promoted the dispersion of nanotubes and resulted in a low electrical percolation at 2wt% of MCNT.