Mechanical and electrical multifunctional poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)umultiwall carbon nanotube nanocomposites

In this work, nanocomposites of poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) PHBV and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) were prepared by melt blending. Mechanical, thermal, morphological, and electrical properties of the prepared PHBV/MWNT nanocomposites were investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed MWNT effectively enhanced the crystallization and nucleation of PHBV. Dynamic thermo-mechanical and static uniaxial mechanical tensile and compressive properties were increased by the addition of MWNT. MWNT observed in the nanocomposites using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed dimensions similar to separated nanotubes inferring a good dispersion. The presence of nanotubes in close vicinity with each other formed an interconnecting network that led to the formation of electrically conductive nanocomposites. The electrical resistance of the nanocomposites was reduced with the addition of MWNT. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. (C) 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers