Polylactide Composites Containing Various Carbon Nanofillers

Abstract

Nanocomposites of polylactide with graphite nanoplateletes (GNPs) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) are prepared by liquid-phase synthesis. A comparative study of the mechanical, electric, and thermophysical characteristics of the compositions depending on the nature of the nanofillers is carried out. An insignificant difference in the mechanical parameters of the compositions containing GNPs and RGO is established. At the same time, when studying the electrical properties, it is found that the use of RGO as a filler produces of composites with a lower percolation threshold than in the case of GNPs and increased conductivity. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) method shows that compositions containing GNPs have higher degree of crystallinity in comparison with similar compositions containing RGO. This is caused by the structure of the filled compositions, which influences the nucleation rate of polylactide (PLA) crystallites on the surface of ordered planar nanoparticles of GNP and imperfect RGO particles. Thus, the use of different carbon nanofillers may promote the production of compositions that differ in their characteristics.