Effect of GNP Addition on Thermal and Electrical Properties of Polycarbonate-poly(butylene terephthalate) Blends

Abstract

PC-PBT/GNP nanocomposite samples were fabricated via melt-compounding technique. The agglomeration state of the produced samples was investigated via optical microscopy. The thermal properties of the samples were assessed with DSC and TGA techniques. Electrical conductivity tests were also performed to determine whether a conductive pathway is established due to GNP addition. The crystallinity calculations derived from DSC measurements showed that the crystallinity of samples was reduced with increasing GNP content. The increased degradation temperatures with increasing filler content showed that a slight improvement in the thermal stability of the PC-PBT blends is achieved by increasing the filler ratio. Electrical conductivity test results indicated establishment of a conductive pathway at higher filler ratios with 1.35 x 10-4 S/m and 6.89 x 10-4 S/m conductivity values for 5 % and 7 % filler weight fractions, respectively.