Abstract
Because of their extraordinary properties, such as high thermal stability, flame retardant, high chemical resistance and high mechanical strength, thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers (TLCPs) have recently gained more attention while being useful for many applications which require chemical inertness and high strength. Due to the recent advance in nanotechnology, TLCPs are usually compounded with nanoparticles to form particulate composites to enhance their properties, such as barrier properties, electrical properties, mechanical properties and thermal properties. Carbon-based nanofillers such as carbon nanotube (CNT), graphene and graphene oxide are the most common fillers used for the TLCP matrices. In this review, we focus on recent advances in thermotropic main-chain liquid crystalline polymer nanocomposites incorporated with CNTs. However, the biggest challenges in the preparation of CNT/TLCP nanocomposites have been shown to be inherent in the dispersion of CNTs into the TLCP matrix, the alignment and control of CNTs in the TLCP matrix and the load-transfer between the TLCP matrix and CNTs. As a result, this paper reviews recent advances in CNT/TLCP nanocomposites through enhanced dispersion of CNTs in TLCPs as well as their improved interfacial adhesion with the TLCP matrices. Case studies on the important role of chemically modified CNTs in the TLCP/thermoplastic polymer blends are also included.
Highlights
Liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) are considered positionally disordered crystals or orientationally ordered liquids [1,2]
After the addition of 1 wt.% multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)-COOH into the Thermotropic Liquid Crystalline polymers (TLCPs)/PA6 blend, a new interesting morphology is observed in Figure 6(b) instead of voids and globules: i.e., TLCP microfibrils appeared, which indicated a better miscibility and strong interfacial adhesion between PA6 and TLCP, in the presence of MWCNT-COOH, which contributes to superior mechanical properties
We have discussed TLCP nanocomposites incorporated with carbon nanotube (CNTs)
Summary
Liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) are considered positionally disordered crystals or orientationally ordered liquids [1,2]. TLCPs are immiscible with most thermoplastics at the molecular level due to the thermodynamic instability This incompatibility between the matrix polymer and dispersed LCP phase leads to poor interfacial adhesion producing a resultant blend with poor mechanical properties. A number of publications reported that the addition of a small amount of functionalized CNTs into a TLCP/thermoplastic blend could improve its mechanical properties through the enhanced interfacial adhesion between the LCP and the thermoplastic [24]. In this ternary system, the functionalized CNTs act as compatibilizers and as linkages between both phases of the blend. The ternary composite system containing functionalized CNTs, a TLCP and a thermoplastic polymer results in one of the most potential composite systems for aerospace and many other industrial fields
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