Electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties of polyarylene ether nitriles/graphite nanosheets nanocomposites prepared by masterbatch route

Graphite nanosheets (GN) reinforced polyarylene ether nitriles (PEN) nanocomposites were successfully fabricated through masterbatch route and investigated for morphological, thermal electrical, mechanical, and rheological properties. The SEM images showed that GN were well coated by phthalonitrile prepolymer (PNP) and dispersed in the PEN matrix. Thermal degradation and heat distortion temperature of PEN/GN nanocomposites increased substantially with the increment of GN content up to 10 wt%. Electrical conductivity of the polymer was dramatically enhanced at low loading level of GN; the electrical percolation of was around 5 wt% of GN. The mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were also investigated and showed significant increase with GN loading. For 10 wt% of GN-reinforced PEN composite, the tensile strength increased by about 18%, the tensile modulus increased by about 30%, the flexural strength increased by about 25%, and the flexural modulus increased by 90%. Rheological properties of the PEN/GN nanocomposites also showed a sudden change with the GN loading content; the percolation threshold was in the range of 3-4 wt% of GN.