Manufacturing poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)/high density polyethylene blend-based nanocomposites with enhanced burning anti-dripping and physical properties — Effects of carbon nanofillers addition

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) were incorporated individually into poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)/high density polyethylene (HDPE) blend to achieve blend-based nanocomposites. Maleated HDPE served as efficient compatibilizer for the immiscible PBAT/HDPE blend. Morphological analyses revealed that CNT and GNP were finely dispersed in the PBAT matrix and HDPE domains. The addition of CNT, but not GNP, transformed the sea-island blend morphology to a co-continuous-like morphology. Thermal property studies showed that CNT and GNP both assisted the nucleation and crystallization of HDPE during crystallization. The presence of CNT or GNP enhanced the thermal stability and heat distortion temperature of the blend, with CNT showing better efficiency than GNP. CNT or GNP loading also improved the anti-dripping performance of the blend in burning tests. An evident enhancement in rigidity of 3 phr CNT-included composite (34 and 88% increase in Young's/flexural moduli, respectively, compared to the parent blend) was observed. Impact strength of the blend increased by up to 87% at 3 phr CNT loading, whereas adding GNP had a negative effect. The 3 phr CNT and GNP loading reduced the electrical resistivity of the blend by nine and five orders of magnitude, respectively.