Improvement properties of polypropylene by graphene oxide incorporation

Abstract

Due to the remarkable properties of graphene oxide (GO) and its possibility of functionalization, GO has been used in many applications such as nanocomposites. GO nanosheets have been shown to improve the properties of the polypropylene (PP) matrix, for instance, its strength, gas barrier, thermal, and electrical conductivity. As PP has relatively low cost and varied applications, this work aims to study the changes in its thermal, morphological, and mechanical properties, due to the incorporation of GO in the PP matrix. GO was synthesized from graphite by a modified Hummers method. The nanocomposites PP/GO with 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 wt% of GO in the PP matrix were obtained using a twin-screw extruder and an injection molding machine via a melt blending process. The nanocomposites PP/GO were characterized by FE-SEM and Izod impact test. In addition, the GO nanosheets were also characterized by Raman spectroscopy, ATR-FTIR, FE-SEM, and XRD, therewith correlation between properties was discussed.