Avaliação da ação compatibilizante dos ácidos hexanóico, octanóico e decanóico em compósitos de polipropileno reforçados com óxido de grafeno

Abstract

To fully explore the potencial of nanocomposites, it is necessary interaction between filler and matrix. This study evaluates the coupling action of the hexanoic (C6), octanoic (C8) and decanoic (C10) acids in polypropylene (PP)/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites. Samples of neat PP, PP/OG, PP/OG/C6, PP/OG/C8, PP/OG/C10 were prepared in a thermokinetic mixer followed by compression molding. The morphology was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy; the mechanical properties through the flexural strength and impact resistance tests; and the thermal stability by thermogravimetric analysis. The PP/OG/C8 and PP/OG/C10 samples, compared to the PP/OG sample, had inferior results, around 15 to 40%, in all mechanical tests, with the exception of the flexural strenght, in wich the PP/OG/C8 sample had a result around 6% higher. These same two samples differ too little from the PP/OG sample in the thermogravimetric analisis. The PP/OG/C6 sample, however, had very similar results in deformation and flexural resistance, a result 10% higher for flexural modulus and 39% higher for impact resistance when compared to PP/OG. Furthermore, the PP/OG/C6 sample showed greater thermal stability, having a temperature of 3% mass loss 17% higher than PP/OG. Based on these results it was concluded that the hexanoic acid shows the greatest coupling action among the three evaluated compounds. [resumo fornecido pelo autor]