Thermal properties and thermal stability of PP/MWCNT composites

The effects of the filler size and content on thermal properties and thermal stability of polypropylene (PP) composites filled with four different sizes of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were investigated through thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that the values of the decomposition temperature increased with increasing weight fraction and length diameter ratio of the filler, while increased with decreasing filler diameter. The values of the residues increased approximately linearly with increasing filler weight fraction. The values of maximum mass loss rate decreased roughly with increasing filler weight fraction, while the influence of the filler diameter and length diameter ratio on the maximum mass loss rate was insignificant. The thermal stability improvement might be attributed to the harrier function of the MWCNTs. This study provides a basis for further development of MWCNTs reinforced polymer composites with desirable thermal properties for potential application as energy materials. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.