Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol.50, No.24, 14186-14192, 2011
Rheological Percolation Behavior and Isothermal Crystallization of Poly(butyene Succinte)/Carbon Nanotube Composites
Carbon nanotube (CNT) filled poly(butylene succinate) composites (PBSCNs) were prepared by melt compounding. The oscillatory rheological properties and crystallization behavior and kinetics were then investigated. The results show that the percolation network of CNTs in the small amplitude oscillatory shear flow is temperature dependent and the values of percolation thresholds reduce gradually with an increase of temperature. Therefore, the principle of time-temperature superposition is invalid on the dynamic rheological responses of those percolated PBSCNs. Besides, the presence of CNTs highly promotes the crystallization of PBS, increasing the overall crystallization rate. But the nucleation mechanism of PBS is not altered with addition of CNTs because the PBS itself is nucleated heterogeneously.