Homogeneously Dispersed Carbon NanofiberHigh-Density Polyethylene Nanocomposite Compatibilized by Dilakylimidazolium Tetrafluoroborate

Abstract EN

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) was used in this study as a matrix for accommodating carbon nanofiber (CNF) along with ionic liquid, to investigate the effect of nanofibers loading on the morphological thermal and rheological properties of the composites.

The nanocomposite materials were prepared via melt processing using dilakylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (ionic liquid) as a compatibilizing agent.

The samples blended with imidazolium ionic liquid exhibited higher thermal stability, while DSC analysis showed the clear miscibility of ionic liquid in the HDPE matrix with a single endothermic peak.

The influence of CNF (ranging from 0, 0.5, 1, and 2 wt.%) and ionic liquid concentration on the viscoelastic parameters was investigated.

The rheological analysis showed the shear-thinning behavior of the composites.

An improvement in the viscoelastic properties was observed as the nanofiber concentration increased.

Composites blended with ionic liquid (HDPE/CNF/IL) exhibited slightly lower values of complex viscosity and modulus over the corresponding HDPE/CNF nanocomposites.

Therefore, it is also significant that the reduction in melt viscosity is an additional benefit for polymer composite processing as a result of the wetting effect by polymer-ionic liquid combinations.