Improving the Mechanical Properties, Roughness, Thermal Stability, and Contact Angle of the Acrylic Polymer by Graphene and Carbon Fiber Doping for Waterproof Coatings

Abstract

A polymeric coating was enlarged by incorporating carbon-based nanofiller such as graphene (GR), graphene oxide, chopped carbon fibers (CF), etc., into the polymer to be utilized for various technological applications. In this framework, the acrylic polymer composites and hybrid coatings were made by casting a combination of acrylic polymer, GR, and CF at room temperature. The polymer hybrids were composed of different ratios (0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2 wt%) of GR or (0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2 wt%) of GR and 5 wt% CF. The morphology, thermal stability, glass transition, decomposition temperature, roughness, and the contact angle of the prepared polymer composites and hybrids were investigated. The roughness of the fabric surface of acrylic polymer composites was found to be greatly reduced as the weight ratio of GR or GR + 5 wt% CF was increased. The greatest contact angle was determined to be 83.07° for hybrids containing 2 wt% GR + 5 wt% CF, whereas the least roughness was recorded for composite containing 2 wt% GR and equals 1.22 μm. The addition of CF to polymers composites increased the roughness and contact angle of acrylic polymer composites. The maximum thermal stability was observed for acrylic polymer + 2 wt% GR + 5 wt% CF composites. The maximum value of the impact strength was observed for acrylic polymer hybris containing 1 wt% GR + 5 wt% CF. The Shore A hardness was steadily increased with increasing GR or GR + 5 wt% CF in the hybrid’s polymer. The presence of GR or Gr and CF in the formed hybrids polymers has resulted in an improvement in the mechanical properties, wettability, thermal stability, and hydrophobicity, and hence might be employed for waterproofing coatings.