Effect of Carbon Nanofibers (CNF) on The Crystallization Kinetics of Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS)

Abstract

The presence of a reinforcement in polymeric materials can cause alterations in their physical properties, and increase the crystallization rate of their polymeric matrix. Therefore, this research work was oriented toward the incorporation of different percentages of carbon nanofibers (0.6-1-3 and 5%) in a PPS thermoplastic matrix, with the purpose to establish and understand each one of the variables that control crystallization kinetics. The results showed a gradual decrease in crystallization times for contents of up to 5% of CNF, where carbon nanofibers act as nucleation sites, accelerating the crystallization process. According to the values obtained in the Avrami exponent, these fell within a range that oscillates from 2.5 to 3 for pure PPS and PPS/1%CNF which indicates that the presence of carbon nanofibers does not have an effect on the nucleation mechanism of polyphenylene sulphide crystalline phase, thus suggesting crystallization with heterogeneous nucleation and two-dimensional growth with circular geometry