In-Situ X-ray Deformation Study of Fluorinated Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube and Fluorinated Ethylene−Propylene Nanocomposite Fibers

• Published in: Macromolecules 2006-08, Vol.39 (16), p.5427-5437
• Main Authors: Chen, Xuming, Burger, Christian, Fang, Dufei, Sics, Igors, Wang, Xuefen, He, Weidong, Somani, Rajesh H, Yoon, Kyunghwan, Hsiao, Benjamin S, Chu, Benjamin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Composites; Exact sciences and technology; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Technology of polymers
• ISSN: 0024-9297; 1520-5835
• DOI: 10.1021/ma060173u

A fluorinated multiwalled carbon nanotube (FMWNT) was prepared by reaction of 3-perfluorooctylpropylamine with carboxylic acid groups on the oxidized carbon nanotube surface. The modification was confirmed by TGA, TEM, and solubility tests in a perfluorodecalin solvent. Nanocomposite fibers based on FMWNT and a fluoro-ethylene−propylene (FEP) copolymer were fabricated by melt blending and melt spinning. SEM examination indicated that the dispersion of FMWNT in FEP was significantly better than that of the as-received multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) in FEP. Both yield strength and modulus of the melt-spun FMWNT/FEP nanocomposite fiber increased with increasing FMWNT content, but the elongation-to-break ratio decreased. In-situ small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) techniques were used to follow the structural changes during tensile deformation of melt-spun fibers. In pure FEP fibers, perpendicularly arranged lamellar stacks (with respect to the fiber axis) became tilted at small strains, while destruction of lamellae took place at high strains (>250%), resulting in the rapid decrease of crystallinity. Surprisingly, the tilting of lamellar stacks was not observed in FEP/FMWNT nanocomposite fibers during deformation. We hypothesize that the well-dispersed FMWNT particles form a fibrous network, which can carry a significant fraction of local stress, resulting in overall increases of yield strength and modulus. A possible mechanism to explain the effect of FMWNT on the lamellar structural change in FEP and corresponding mechanical behavior is presented.