Polymer composites prepared by low-temperature post-irradiation polymerization of C2F4 in the presence of graphene-like material: synthesis and characterization

Polymer polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-microwave exfoliated graphene oxide (MEGO) composites containing up to 80 wt% PTFE were prepared by low-temperature post-irradiation polymerization of C2F4 in the presence of the graphene-like material. Composites were characterized by FTIR, NMR, XPS, SEM, TGA, XRD, broadband dielectric spectroscopy and DSC techniques. The melting point of PTFE in the composite (332.5 degrees C) was higher than that of pure PTFE by 8.8 degrees C. The measured values of the melting enthalpy (Delta H-m = 51.5 and 45.4 J g(-1)) were used to calculate the extent of crystallinity in the PTFE and PTFE-MEGO composite (0.63 and 0.55, respectively). No CF3 end groups typical of commercial PTFE have been detected in the PTFE-MEGO composites.