Radiation preparation of graphene/carbon nanotubes hybrid fillers for mechanical reinforcement of poly(vinyl alcohol) films

• Published in: Radiation physics and chemistry (Oxford, England : 1993) England : 1993), 2016-01, Vol.118, p.21-26
• Main Authors: Ma, Hui-Ling, Zhang, Long, Zhang, Youwei, Wang, Shuojue, Sun, Chao, Yu, Hongyan, Zeng, Xinmiao, Zhai, Maolin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alcohols; Carbon nanotubes; Fillers; Graphene; Mechanical reinforcement; Networks; Poly(vinyl alcohol); Reduction; Scanning electron microscopy; Three dimensional; γ-ray irradiation
• ISSN: 0969-806X; 1879-0895
• DOI: 10.1016/j.radphyschem.2015.03.028

Graphene/carbon nanotubes (G/CNTs) hybrid fillers were synthesized by γ-ray radiation reduction of graphene oxide (GO) in presence of CNTs. The obtained hybrid fillers with three-dimensional (3D) interconnected network structure were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) composite films with enhanced mechanical properties and thermal stability were subsequently prepared by solution blending of G/CNTs with PVA matrix. The tensile strength and Young's modulus of PVA composite films containing 1wt% G/CNTs were measured to be 81.9MPa and 3.9GPa respectively, which were 56% and 33.6% higher than those of pure PVA. These substantial improvements could be attributed to the interconnected 3D structure of G/CNTs, homogeneous dispersion as well as the strong hydrogen-bonding interaction between G/CNTs and PVA macromolecular chains. •Graphene/canbon nanotubes hybrids were synthesized by γ-ray irradiation.•The hybrids exhibited a three-dimensional (3D) interconnected network structure.•The hybirds could effectively improve mechanical properities of PVA matrix.