'Middle East Technical University, Faculty of Architecture'
Abstract
One of the aim of this study is to prepare conductive polymer nanocomposites of polypropylene to obtain better mechanical and electrical properties. Composite materials based on conductive fillers dispersed within insulating thermoplastic matrices have wide range of application. For this purpose, conductive polymer nanocomposites of polypropylene with nano dimentional conductive fillers like carbon black, carbon nanotube and fullerene were prepared. Their mechanical, electrical and thermal properties were investigated. Polypropylene (PP)/carbon black (CB) composites at different compositions were prepared via melt blending of PP with CB. The effect of CB content on mechanical and electrical properties was studied. Test samples were prepared by injection molding and compression molding techniques. Also, the effect of processing type on mechanical and electrical properties was investigated. Composites become semiconductive with the addition of 2 wt% CB. Polypropylene (PP) / Carbon Nanotube (CNT) and Polypropylene / Fullerene composites were prepared by melt mixing. CNT’s and fullerenes were surface functionalized with HNO3 : H2SO4 before composite preparation. The CNT and fullerene content in the composites were varied as 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 % by weight. For the composites which contain surface modified CNT and fullerene four different compatibilizers were used. These were selected as TritonX-100, Poly(ethylene-block-polyethylene glycol), Maleic anhydride grafted Polypropylene and Cetramium Bromide. The effect of surface functionalization and different compatibilizer on mechanical, thermal and electrical properties were investigated. Best value of these properties were observed for the composites which were prepared with maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene and cetramium bromide. Another aim of this study is to built and characterize transistors which have polyethylene as dielectric layers. While doing this, polyethylene layer was deposited on gate electrode using vacuum evaporation system. Fullerene , Pentacene ve Indigo were used as semiconductor layer. Transistors work with low voltage and high on/off ratio were built with Aluminum oxide - PE and PE dielectrics.Ph.D. - Doctoral Progra