Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Thermotropic Liquid Crystal Copolyester Nanocomposites by Simple Melt Compounding

초록

Thermotropic liquid crystal polymer nanocomposites reinforced with a small quantity of multi-walled carbon nanotube were prepared by melt compounding in a twin-screw extruder. The enhancement of thermal stability of TLCP/MWCNT nanocomposites resulted from the physical barrier effect of the dispersed MWCNT in the polymer nanocomposites. There was significant dependence of the rheological and mechanical properties of TLCP/MWCNT nanocomposites on the MWCNT content. The TLCP/MWCNT nanocomosites exhibited more distinct shear thinning behavior relative to pure TLCP over the whole frequency measured, and the non-terminal behavior observed in the TLCP/MWCNT nanocomposites was attributed to the nanotube-nanotube or nanotube-polymer interaction. The improvement in the mechanical properties of TLCP/MWCNT nanocomposites may be explained by the reinforcement effect of MWCNT with high aspect ratio as well as the uniform dispersion of MWCNT in the TLCP matrix