Experimental analysis of mechanical properties of polypropylene in presence of graphene nano plates and polyolefin elastomer in different manufacturing times

Faramarz Ashenai Ghasemi^*, Ismail Ghasemi, Mahdi Basiri

The Modares Journal of Mechanics Engineering, Volume 15, Issue 11, 2016(1), Pages 225-232. (ISC) (In Persian)

Abstract

In this study, effect of adding graphene and polyolefin elastomer (POE) in polypropylene matrix, in various mix times were studied. Method of fabricating  samples was  melt-blending samples with 0, 2, and 4 %wt of graphene, 0, 15, and 30 %wt of POE, and 8,12, and 16 minute mixing times were used. For better analysis of mechanical properties, tensile and impact tests and DSC, SEM analyses were employed. Results of tensile tests indicated that addition  of POE caused reduction of elastic modulus, reduction of tensile strength, good improvement of impact strength and poor improvement of elongation. While presence of graphene caused a good improvement of modulus with no  meaningful effect on tensile strength, reduction of elongation and poor improvement of impact strength. DSC analysis of samples showed that graphene and POE has no visible effect on degree of crystallinity but graphen cause temperature of crystallinity increased. SEM observations showed that by increasing  mixing time  dispersion of grapheme improved. A reduction in the size of  POE particles in blending of course agglomerations of grapheme in all samples  showed that for the method of  fabrication, surface area of graphene  and percentage  of graphene in samples was  not unexpected.

Keywords

Nanocomposite, Graphene, Polypropylene, POE, Mechanical properties.

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