Mechanical, Thermal, and Morphological Properties of Graphene Nanoplatelet-Reinforced Polypropylene Nanocomposites: Effects of Nanofiller Thickness

In this work, polypropylene (PP) and graphene nanoplatelet (GNPs) composites are routed through twin screw mixing injection moulding. Two types of GNPs with a fixed size 25 µm surface areas ranging from 50–80 m2/g (H25, average thickness 15 nm) 120–150 (M25, 6–8 were blended PP at loading rates 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 weight%. Mechanical properties such as tensile, flexural, impact strengths Young’s modulus (Ε) determined. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic mechanical (DMA), field emission electron microscopy (FESEM), polarised light (PLM) techniques used to understand the crystallisation, thermal, mechanical, structural behaviour prepared composites. improvement strength is observed GNP for both grades. Decreasing decreases on other hand improves tensile flexural modulus. Maximum (≈33 MPa) (≈58.81 found composite carrying wt% M25. However, maximum (0.197 J) PP-5 H25. XRD confirms have an induction effect PP’s β phase crystal structure. PP-GNP exhibits better thermal stability based determining TD (degradation temperature), T10 (temperature 10% weight loss), T50 50% TR residual weight). Enhancement in melt (Tm) crystallisation temperatures (Tc) due heterogeneous nucleation effect. FESEM concludes that has significant degree dispersion agglomeration. smaller thickness, lower Overall, use thinner more advantageous improving polymer properties.