Role of the degree of acetalization on dynamic mechanical properties of polyvinyl butyral/carbon nanotube composites

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this work, polyvinyl butyral (PVB) nanocomposites reinforced with 0.1–1.0 wt % of pristine [carbon nanotube (CNT)] or oxidized (CNTO) multiwalled CNTs were synthesized via in situ polymerization. It was found that the presence of the reinforcement during the synthesis altered the degree of acetalization of PVB. Dynamic mechanical analyses showed that PVB nanocomposites containing 0.5 wt % of pristine CNT had the best adhesion factor, with increases of about 30% in the storage modulus. On the other hand, PVB/CNTO 1.0 wt % nanocomposites achieved the best reinforcement efficiency factor (“C” coefficient). It is concluded that the in situ polymerization improves dispersion and final properties of the nanocomposite only if the nanoparticles are able to form relevant interfacial interactions during the PVB synthesis. In addition, it was verified that the presence of CNT or CNTO altered the degree of acetalization of PVB, which strongly influences the final properties of the nanocomposites. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136 , 48146.