Tensile testing of polystyrene graphene 2D nano composite membrane

Abstract

Synthesis of few layered graphene (FLG) was done by liquid exfoliation method using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) solvents. Prepared samples of polystyrene matrix at different wt% ages of exfoliated graphene at low percolation, i.e., exfoliated graphene (EG) (i = 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7) were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) and mechanical properties which are ultimate tensile strength (UTS), modulus of elasticity (E), and percentage elongation were calculated by universal testing machine (UTM). SEM results witnessed presence of 2D sheets of graphene sheets while XRD identified polystyrene peaks and graphene planes in composite system. AFM clearly quantified the thickness of graphene sheets would be 0.757 nm. Increase in UTS, E, and percentage elongation at break is a function of filler loading and maximum increase in those properties is 52.66, 462.28, and 112.5% as compared to those of pure polystyrene sample that was recorded in this experimentation. This increasing trend of properties depends upon high interfacial contact between filler and polymer and better dispersion of filler in matrix. By increasing the wt% age, filler leads to agglomeration of sheets which tend to decrease in percentage elongation as obtained at concentration of EG = 0.5 wt% in samples.