The effect of multiwall carbon nanotube additions on the thermo-mechanical, electrical, and morphological properties of gelatin-polyvinyl alcohol blend nanocomposite

A highly stable and uniform dispersion of multiwall carbon nanotubes in aqueous solution was achieved to prepare multiwall carbon nanotubes/gelatin-polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposites with varying multiwall carbon nanotubes content using solution casting. Optical microscopic images confirmed the homogenous dispersion and distribution of multiwall carbon nanotubes in solution and polymer matrix. The tensile strength and tensile modulus of the composite containing 1% multiwall carbon nanotubes (wt/wt) were found to increase by 128.1 and 284.8% compared to that of the gelatin-polyvinyl alcohol blend. Dynamic mechanical analysis revealed an increase in the storage modulus and a decrease in the loss factor (tan delta) for the composite. Electrical properties exhibited a typical percolation behavior when a small amount of multiwall carbon nanotubes (0.1wt%) was loaded. X-ray diffraction showed that incorporation of multiwall carbon nanotubes increased the crystallinity. Scanning electron microscopy also showed a homogeneous distribution of multiwall carbon nanotubes in the composite matrix. The nanocomposites were further characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), thermo-gravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry.