Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol.53, No.12, 4697-4703, 2014
The Effect of Surface Chemistry of Graphene on Cellular Structures and Electrical Properties of Polycarbonate Nanocomposite Foams
Electrically conductive polycarbonate (PC) nanocomposites are prepared by blending PC with thermally exfoliated graphene and p-phenylenediamine (PPD)-functionalized and reduced graphene oxide (GO-PPD). The filler dispersion in the PC matrix is evaluated with scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and rheological measurements. Compared to thermally exfoliated graphene, GO-PPD exhibits a better compatibility with the PC matrix and thus a more homogeneous dispersion due to the presence of PPD in GO-PPD. After being freely foamed with supercritical carbon dioxide as the foaming agent, the PC/GO-PPD nanocomposite foams show improved cell structures with higher cell density, smaller cell size, and more regular shapes; these should be attributed to the uniform dispersion of GO-PPD sheets in the matrix, which act as nucleation sites for foaming. Interestingly, the conducting network formed by GO-PPD sheets survives even after mold-limited foaming of PC/GO-PPD nanocomposites, and therefore the nanocomposite foams exhibit similar or even higher electrical conductivity in comparison to their solid counterparts.