Mechanical and thermal performance of PEEK/PEI blend matrix reinforced with surface modified halloysite nanotubes

Abstract

The present research work investigates the effect of modified halloysite nanotubes (mHNTs) on the mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and polyetherimide (PEI). The developed PEEK/PEI blend matrix with 1 wt% of mHNTs shows a significant enhancement in mechanical properties like tensile, flexural, hardness, and impact. The developed blend matrix of PEEK/PEI matrix with mHNTs shows a significant enhancement of 25% in storage modulus (E′) and 13°C in glass transition temperature (Tg). In addition, an appreciable improvement of 26°C observed in maximum degradation temperature (Tmax). The effectiveness of the dispersion of mHNTs in the PEEK/PEI blend matrix was investigated by using SEM and TEM micrographs. The micrographs revealed that the mHNTs are uniformly dispersed in the PEEK/PEI matrix. The possible interaction of HNTs with PEEK/PEI and mHNTs with PEEK/PEI matrix were analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR).