Abstracto

Rheological and Optoelectrical Properties of Mwcnts-Xg-Pva Nanocomposites

Emad AM Farrag

Polymer nanocomposites from multiwalled carbon nano tubes (MWCNTs) and xanthan gum (XG)-poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) polymer blend were prepared at different MWCNTs weight fractions. Rheological results indicated that addition of XG to PVA polymer will enhance rheological properties and thermal stability of MWCNTs-PVA nanocomposite. Addition of MWCNTs up to 1.5 w% will significantly improve storage modulus of the neat polymer blend while the increase of MWCNTs up to 3 w% will slightly decrease storage modulus. Optical results, on the other hand, revealed that MWCNTs are homogenously distributed and well dispersed in the neat polymer. Increasing of nano fillers in neat polymer will decrease optical energy gap from 5.30 eV (for pure XG-PVA) to 3.30 eV. Electrical results implied that adding XG to MWCNTs-PVA nanocomposite system will not highly affect electrical properties of nanocomposites.