Strategies for interfacial localization of graphene/polyethylene‐based cocontinuous blends for electrical percolation

Sung Cik Mun; Min Jae Kim; Mónica Cobos; Liangliang Gu; Christopher W. Macosko

doi:10.1002/aic.v65.6

Strategies for interfacial localization of graphene/polyethylene‐based cocontinuous blends for electrical percolation

Sung Cik Mun, Min Jae Kim, Mónica Cobos, Liangliang Gu, Christopher W. Macosko

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Abstract

We have investigated melt blending approaches to interfacial localization of few-layer graphene in cocontinuous polymer blends with polyethylene as one of the components. When linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE)/polypropylene (PP) or high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/polylactic acid (PLA) and graphene were mixed all together, graphene preferred polyethylene over PP or PLA. When PP and graphene were premixed and blended with polyethylene, some graphene was trapped at the blend interface but not enough to cover the large interfacial area. In contrast, an ultralow electrical percolation was achieved (< 0.1 vol%) in HDPE/PLA blend due to smaller interfacial area. In another approach, polystyrene was added as a tertiary minor component to HDPE/PLA blends. This continuous interfacial layer containing graphene led to a low electrical percolation threshold (< 0.2 vol%). From these investigations, we suggest general ways to reduce a percolation threshold by kinetic control of the morphology of cocontinuous polymer blends.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	e16579
Pages (from-to)	e16579
Journal	AIChE Journal
Volume	65
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/aic.v65.6
State	Published - Jun 1 2019

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The Petroleum Institute of Khalifa University of Science and Technology in the UAE, Grant/ Award Number: Joint Polymer Processing Research Program; NSF, Grant/Award Number: DMR-1420013; University of Minnesota

Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Petroleum Institute of Khalifa University of Science and Technology in the UAE through its Joint Polymer Processing Research Program with the University of Minnesota. Parts of this work were carried out at the University of Minnesota Characterization Facility, which receives partial support from the NSF through the MRSEC (DMR-1420013), ERC, MRI, and NNIN programs and the CSE through the OVPR program.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 American Institute of Chemical Engineers

Keywords

cocontinuous polymer blends
conductive polymer nanocomposites
electrical percolation
graphene
preferential localization

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10.1002/aic.v65.6

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/aic.16579

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Lodge, T. P. (PI)
8/1/98 → 8/31/26
Project: Research project
University of Minnesota MRSEC (DMR-1420013)
Lodge, T. P. (PI)
11/1/14 → 10/31/20
Project: Research project

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title = "Strategies for interfacial localization of graphene/polyethylene‐based cocontinuous blends for electrical percolation",

abstract = "We have investigated melt blending approaches to interfacial localization of few-layer graphene in cocontinuous polymer blends with polyethylene as one of the components. When linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE)/polypropylene (PP) or high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/polylactic acid (PLA) and graphene were mixed all together, graphene preferred polyethylene over PP or PLA. When PP and graphene were premixed and blended with polyethylene, some graphene was trapped at the blend interface but not enough to cover the large interfacial area. In contrast, an ultralow electrical percolation was achieved (< 0.1 vol%) in HDPE/PLA blend due to smaller interfacial area. In another approach, polystyrene was added as a tertiary minor component to HDPE/PLA blends. This continuous interfacial layer containing graphene led to a low electrical percolation threshold (< 0.2 vol%). From these investigations, we suggest general ways to reduce a percolation threshold by kinetic control of the morphology of cocontinuous polymer blends.",

keywords = "cocontinuous polymer blends, conductive polymer nanocomposites, electrical percolation, graphene, preferential localization",

author = "Mun, {Sung Cik} and Kim, {Min Jae} and M{\'o}nica Cobos and Liangliang Gu and Macosko, {Christopher W.}",

note = "Funding Information: The Petroleum Institute of Khalifa University of Science and Technology in the UAE, Grant/ Award Number: Joint Polymer Processing Research Program; NSF, Grant/Award Number: DMR-1420013; University of Minnesota Funding Information: This work was supported by the Petroleum Institute of Khalifa University of Science and Technology in the UAE through its Joint Polymer Processing Research Program with the University of Minnesota. Parts of this work were carried out at the University of Minnesota Characterization Facility, which receives partial support from the NSF through the MRSEC (DMR-1420013), ERC, MRI, and NNIN programs and the CSE through the OVPR program. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019 American Institute of Chemical Engineers",

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T1 - Strategies for interfacial localization of graphene/polyethylene‐based cocontinuous blends for electrical percolation

AU - Mun, Sung Cik

AU - Kim, Min Jae

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AU - Gu, Liangliang

AU - Macosko, Christopher W.

N1 - Funding Information: The Petroleum Institute of Khalifa University of Science and Technology in the UAE, Grant/ Award Number: Joint Polymer Processing Research Program; NSF, Grant/Award Number: DMR-1420013; University of Minnesota Funding Information: This work was supported by the Petroleum Institute of Khalifa University of Science and Technology in the UAE through its Joint Polymer Processing Research Program with the University of Minnesota. Parts of this work were carried out at the University of Minnesota Characterization Facility, which receives partial support from the NSF through the MRSEC (DMR-1420013), ERC, MRI, and NNIN programs and the CSE through the OVPR program. Publisher Copyright: © 2019 American Institute of Chemical Engineers

PY - 2019/6/1

Y1 - 2019/6/1

N2 - We have investigated melt blending approaches to interfacial localization of few-layer graphene in cocontinuous polymer blends with polyethylene as one of the components. When linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE)/polypropylene (PP) or high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/polylactic acid (PLA) and graphene were mixed all together, graphene preferred polyethylene over PP or PLA. When PP and graphene were premixed and blended with polyethylene, some graphene was trapped at the blend interface but not enough to cover the large interfacial area. In contrast, an ultralow electrical percolation was achieved (< 0.1 vol%) in HDPE/PLA blend due to smaller interfacial area. In another approach, polystyrene was added as a tertiary minor component to HDPE/PLA blends. This continuous interfacial layer containing graphene led to a low electrical percolation threshold (< 0.2 vol%). From these investigations, we suggest general ways to reduce a percolation threshold by kinetic control of the morphology of cocontinuous polymer blends.

AB - We have investigated melt blending approaches to interfacial localization of few-layer graphene in cocontinuous polymer blends with polyethylene as one of the components. When linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE)/polypropylene (PP) or high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/polylactic acid (PLA) and graphene were mixed all together, graphene preferred polyethylene over PP or PLA. When PP and graphene were premixed and blended with polyethylene, some graphene was trapped at the blend interface but not enough to cover the large interfacial area. In contrast, an ultralow electrical percolation was achieved (< 0.1 vol%) in HDPE/PLA blend due to smaller interfacial area. In another approach, polystyrene was added as a tertiary minor component to HDPE/PLA blends. This continuous interfacial layer containing graphene led to a low electrical percolation threshold (< 0.2 vol%). From these investigations, we suggest general ways to reduce a percolation threshold by kinetic control of the morphology of cocontinuous polymer blends.

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Strategies for interfacial localization of graphene/polyethylene‐based cocontinuous blends for electrical percolation

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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