Conductivity of microfibrillar polymer-polymer composites with CNT-loaded microfibrils or compatibilizer: A comparative study

Conductive polymer composites have wide ranging applications, but when they are produced by conventional melt blending, high conductive filler loadings are normally required, hindering their processability and reducing mechanical properties. In this study, two types of polymer-polymer composites were studied: i) microfibrillar composites (MFC) of polypropylene (PP) and 5 wt% carbon nanotube (CNT) loaded poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) as reinforcement, and ii) maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene (PP-g-MA) compatibilizer, loaded with 5 wt% CNTs introduced into an MFC of PP and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) in concentrations of 5 and 10 wt%. For the compatibilized composite type, PP and PET were melt-blended, cold-drawn and pelletized, followed by dry-mixing with PP-g-MA/CNT, re-extrusion at 200°C, and cold-drawing. The drawn blends produced were compression moulded to produce sheets with MFC structure. Using scanning electron microscopy, CNTs coated with PP-g-MA could be observed at the interface between PP matrix and PET microfibrils in the compatibilized blends. The volume resistivities tested by four-point test method were: 2.87•108 and 9.93•107 Ω•cm for the 66.5/28.5/5 and 63/27/10 (by wt%) PP/PET/(PP-g-MA/CNT) blends, corresponding to total CNT loadings (in the composites) of 0.07 vol% (0.24 wt%) and 0.14 vol% (0.46 wt%), respectively. For the non-compatibilized MFC types based on PP/(PBT/CNT) with higher and lower melt flow grades of PP, the resistivities of 70/(95/5) blends were 1.9•106 and 1.5•107 Ω•cm, respectively, corresponding to a total filler loading (in the composite) of 0.44 vol% (1.5 wt%) in both MFCs

Abnormal clot microstructure formed in blood containing HIT-like antibodies

IntroductionThrombosis is a severe and frequent complication of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). However, there is currently no knowledge of the effects of HIT-like antibodies on the resulting microstructure of the formed clot, despite such information being linked to thrombotic events. We evaluate the effect of the addition of pathogenic HIT-like antibodies to blood on the resulting microstructure of the formed clot.Materials and methodsPathogenic HIT-like antibodies (KKO) and control antibodies (RTO) were added to samples of whole blood containing Unfractionated Heparin and Platelet Factor 4. The formed clot microstructure was investigated by rheological measurements (fractal dimension; df) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and platelet activation was measured by flow cytometry.Results and conclusionsOur results revealed striking effects of KKO on clot microstructure. A significant difference in df was found between samples containing KKO (df = 1.80) versus RTO (df = 1.74; p < 0.0001). This increase in df was often associated with an increase in activated platelets. SEM images of the clots formed with KKO showed a network consisting of a highly branched and compact arrangement of thin fibrin fibres, typically found in thrombotic disease. This is the first study to identify significant changes in clot microstructure formed in blood containing HIT-like antibodies. These observed alterations in clot microstructure can be potentially exploited as a much-needed biomarker for the detection, management and monitoring of HIT-associated thrombosis

Highly conducting poly(methyl methacrylate)/carbon nanotubes composites: Investigation on their thermal, dynamic-mechanical, electrical and dielectric properties

International audienceNanocomposites of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) containing various multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) contents were prepared using melt mixing. Several techniques were employed to study the influence of the MWCNT addition on the thermal, mechanical, electrical and dielectric properties of the PMMA matrix. The electrical percolation threshold () was found to be 0.5 vol.% by performing AC and DC conductivity measurements. Significantly high conductivity levels () were achieved: exceeds 10 S/cm already at 1.1 vol.%, the criterion for EMI shielding ( > 10 S/cm) is fulfilled at 2.9 vol.%, and the highest loaded sample (5.2 vol.%) gave a maximum value of 0.5 S/cm. Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy measurements in broad frequency (10−10 Hz) and temperature ranges (-150 to 170 °C) indicated weak polymer-filler interactions, in consistency with differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis findings. Weak polymer-filler interactions and absence of crystallinity facilitate the achievement of high conductivity levels in the nanocomposites

Liquid sensing properties of melt processed polypropylene/poly(ε-caprolactone) blends containing multiwalled carbon nanotubes

The sensing properties of polypropylene (PP)/poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) blends containing multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) were studied in terms of their electrical resistance change in presence of liquids (solvents). The preparation of co-continuous blends based on the double percolation concept was done by melt mixing of electrically conductive PCL composites containing 3 wt.% MWNT and neat PP in ratios of 30:70, 40:60, and 50:50. The electrical resistance change of the PCL-MWNT composites and blends was monitored in a solvent immersion/drying cycle. Various solvents, such as n-hexane, ethanol, methanol, water, toluene, chloroform, and tetrahydrofuran were successfully detected, yielding different responses and reversibility of the resistance changes. PP and PCL were tested separately for solvent sorption using ethanol and n-hexane, both showing a low sorption of n-hexane. Ethanol sorption was large for PCL and almost absent for PP. The 50/50 blend composites with 3 wt.% MWNT in the PCL phase presented larger resistance changes for n-hexane, showing larger sensing ability for this solvent compared to PCL composites with 1 and 3 wt.% loadings. The opposite response was observed for immersion in ethanol where the PCL-MWNT composites showed larger changes than the blends. As the ratio of the conductive PCL phase over PP in the blend composition (i.e., the overall MWNT content) decreased, larger resistance changes were observed. The liquid sensing properties of compression-moulded disks and melt-drawn filaments were compared indicating higher responses for the disks.European Commission - Sixth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development of the (NMP2-CT-2006-026626, INTELTEX Project

A comparative study on the Electrical and mechanical behaviour of multi-walled carbon nanotube composites prepared by diluting a masterbatch with various types of polypropylenes

Polypropylene (PP) nanocomposites with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) were produced by a small-scale masterbatch melt dilution technique using five PP differing in melt flow index (MFI) and degree of maleination. PP used in a masterbatch has MFI = 12 (PP12), the others used PP which have MFI = 2 or MFI = 8. The state of CNT dispersion as assessed by melt rheological and morphological investigations indicated a better dispersion when using unmodified PP with MFI = 8 (PP8) and the masterbatch's PP12. Electrical conductivity results showed nanotube percolation at contents between 1.1 and 2.0 vol %, whereas lower values were obtained for the matrices with the best dispersion, i.e., PP8 and PP12. The dependencies of the relative Young's modulus on the CNT content showed that the maleinization improved the interfacial interactions between the components, especially in the case of maleated PP with MFI = 8 (PP-MA8), but the better dispersion was prevented by the incompatibility between polar groups of PP-MA and the nonpolar origin masterbatch PP12. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Thermal and electrical characterization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes reinforced polyamide 6 nanocomposites

In this study composites of polyamide 6 and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were prepared by diluting a masterbatch using melt mixing. Differential scanning calorimetry was employed in order to investigate the influence of nanotubes on the thermal transitions of polyamide 6. Significant changes are reported on crystallization and glass transition by the addition of nanotubes. The results are discussed in terms of polymer-filler interactions. Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy measurements were performed to study both the electrical and dielectric properties of the nanocomposites. Percolation threshold is calculated to be at 1.7 vol.% MWCNT