Customized Extrusion Nozzle Assisted Robust Nylon 6/MWCNT Nanocomposite Based Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Advanced Smart Wearables

Abstract

To meet the growing demand for durable, tough, and electrically conductive polymer nanocomposites driven by the rise of smart devices, e-textiles, wearables, and advanced structures, this study offers a systematic approach to fabricating highly robust Nylon 6/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) nanocomposite films and fibers. The robustness of the nanocomposite is achieved through a simple straightforward approach involving the selective surface functionalization of MWCNTs with oxygen plasma-assisted tetraethylenepentamine grafting (O2T-MWCNTs) and melt-blending these MWCNTs with Nylon 6 under optimized conditions. The mixture is then processed through a specially designed narrow convergent nozzle attached to the extruder die. The die facilitates the alignment of the CNTs into the matrix in the flow direction and increases the composite strength. The incorporation of just 1 wt% of O2T-MWCNTs into Nylon 6 results in a nanocomposite with a remarkable enhancement, demonstrating a 93.25 % increase in tensile strength (T.S.), a 50.47 % increase in Young’s Modulus (E), and an outstanding 136 % increase in elongation at the break (ε) compared to neat Nylon 6, surpassing contemporary benchmarks. Importantly, this method yields a nanocomposite ∼ 30.2 % stronger than the conventional melt-blending process without a nozzle. When fabricating a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) with the nanocomposite, exceptional performance was observed, with an output voltage of 105.7 V, a current of 10.55 μA, and a power density of 465 mW/m2, surpassing many reported values. Moreover, the TENG displays highly stable performance through 20,000 cycles of continuous compression. The nanogenerator also exhibited outstanding capability in harvesting mechanical energy from body movements, as demonstrated by lighting various LEDs and small electronics.