Morphology, mechanical properties and thermal behaviour of Poly(Methyl MethAcrylate-CO-N-Vinyl-2-Pyrrolidone)/Poly(Ethylene Glycol)/Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes nanocomposites

Abstract

Polymer-based nanocomposites combine increased mechanical properties and heat resistance than pure polymer materials. In this article, poly(methyl methacrylate-co-N-vinyl-2-pyridone)/polyethylene glycol/multi-walled carbon nanotube (P(MMA-co-VP)/PEG/MWCNTs) nanocomposites were prepared by radical copolymerization. To improve the dispersion of MWCNTs in P(MMA-co-VP)/PEG, they were functionalized and characterized with Raman, FTIR spectroscopy, and SEM. The effect of functionalized MWCNTs content on the mechanical and thermal properties of nanocomposites was studied. Although MWCNTs had the potential to induce PEG crystallization, no PEG crystals were found in P(MMA-co-VP)/PEG/MWCNTs. At the same time, MWCNTs had obvious effects as enhancers, and with the increase of their content, the mechanical properties, dynamic modulus and thermal stability of nanocomposites were improved compared with P(MMA-co-VP)/PEG.