TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of surfactants on the properties of epoxy/graphene nanocomposites
AU - Wei, Jiacheng
AU - Saharudin, Mohd Shahneel
AU - Vo, Thuc
AU - Inam, Fawad
PY - 2018/4/10
Y1 - 2018/4/10
N2 - Recently, graphene has attracted extensive research interests due to its superior mechanical, electrical and thermal performance. Small loadings of graphene can increase the properties of epoxy significantly. However, because of the large surface area of graphene, it is a challenge to disperse graphene in liquid epoxy. Strong van der Waals force causes reaggregation of graphene in the matrix. As commonly used surfactants, sodium dodecyl sulphate and gum arabic have been used a lot to de-bundle graphene, however, their dispersing efficiencies for graphene in epoxy matrix is unknown. Therefore, to evaluate their dispersing efficiencies, epoxy/graphene nanocomposites had been made and mechanical properties, dynamic mechanical analysis, thermal gravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy tests of nanocomposites had been conducted. The results show that the properties of nanocomposites had been enhanced largely after using sodium dodecyl sulphate and gum arabic. Sodium dodecyl sulphate shows higher dispersing effectiveness than gum arabic.
AB - Recently, graphene has attracted extensive research interests due to its superior mechanical, electrical and thermal performance. Small loadings of graphene can increase the properties of epoxy significantly. However, because of the large surface area of graphene, it is a challenge to disperse graphene in liquid epoxy. Strong van der Waals force causes reaggregation of graphene in the matrix. As commonly used surfactants, sodium dodecyl sulphate and gum arabic have been used a lot to de-bundle graphene, however, their dispersing efficiencies for graphene in epoxy matrix is unknown. Therefore, to evaluate their dispersing efficiencies, epoxy/graphene nanocomposites had been made and mechanical properties, dynamic mechanical analysis, thermal gravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy tests of nanocomposites had been conducted. The results show that the properties of nanocomposites had been enhanced largely after using sodium dodecyl sulphate and gum arabic. Sodium dodecyl sulphate shows higher dispersing effectiveness than gum arabic.
KW - Graphene
KW - epoxy
KW - nanocomposites
KW - surfactants
KW - sodium dodecyl sulphate
KW - gum arabic
U2 - 10.1177/0731684418765369
DO - 10.1177/0731684418765369
M3 - Article
JO - Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites
JF - Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites
SN - 0731-6844
ER -