Influence of melt annealing on rheological and electrical properties of compatibilized multiwalled carbon nanotubes in polypropylene

Pristine and surface functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were melt mixed with a polypropylene (PP) polymer matrix. Rheology, morphology, electrical conductivity and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were evaluated for different MWCNT loadings. Melt annealing effect on properties was also investigated. It was found that both surface functionalization of MWCNT and thermal annealing were able to favor a better dispersion of the particles, inducing the formation of a percolative network. © 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.