Aspect Ratio Of Platelets Research Articles

Control over Aspect Ratio and Polymer Spatial Distribution of 2D Platelets via Living Crystallization-Driven Self-Assembly

Control over Aspect Ratio and Polymer Spatial Distribution of 2D Platelets via Living Crystallization-Driven Self-Assembly

Vibrations of viscoelastic FG porous graphene-platelets reinforced doubly-curved shells via experimental characterisation of graphene platelets

This work explores the vibrations of viscoelastic functionally-graded (FG) porous graphene-platelets reinforced doubly-curved shallow shells via experimental characterisations of graphene platelets. In particular, the effects of ultrasonication time of graphene platelets, on the vibrations of graphene-platelets reinforced shells, are studied. This is of interest because graphene platelets are often ultrasonicated in solvents to achieve better dispersions during the fabrication of graphene-platelets/epoxy composite structures. In this study, geometric characteristics of the graphene platelets under different sonication times are quantitatively and qualitatively analysed through experimental characterisation techniques, including a laser diffraction particle size analyser, a scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and a scanning force microscopy (SFM). The geometric characteristics of graphene platelets are considered in the effective material properties using a micromechanics model of Halpin-Tsai. Different FG distributions of graphene platelets and closed-cell porosity are modelled. The Kelvin-Voigt viscoelastic model is used to consider the internal friction-induced energy dissipation for the polymeric composite shell. Hamilton’s variational principle and an assumed mode method are used to derive and solve the equations of motion, respectively, for the vibrations of the doubly-curved shells. The effects of graphene platelets sonication time, in combination with the effects of graphene platelets weight fraction, porosity coefficient, FG distributions, shell thickness ratio, and shell curvature radii, are scrutinised. The results show that increasing ultrasonication time reduces the shell’s out-of-plane dimensionless fundamental frequency as a result of the reduction in graphene platelets aspect ratio.

Effect of the Ti volume fraction on microstructure and mechanical properties of brick-and-mortar structure Ti/Al3Ti metal-intermetallic laminate composites

The brick-and-mortar biomimetic structure Ti/Al3Ti metal-intermetallic laminate (BMS-MIL) composites were prepared by vacuum hot pressing. BMS-MIL composites with various Ti volume fractions from 45–71% were obtained by controlling the high-temperature diffusion time of Al–Ti. The phase composition of the BMS-MIL composites was analyzed, and the influence of Ti volume fraction on the microstructure was quantitatively characterized. Quasi-static compression and three-point bending tests were carried out to study the mechanical properties and fracture mechanism of the BMS-MIL composites. The results indicated that, in BMS-MIL composites, Al3Ti appears as polygonal platelets, and Ti fills the gaps between the platelets. With decreasing Ti volume fraction, the size of Al3Ti platelets increased, the number of platelets decreased, and the aspect ratio of platelets first increased and then decreased. The decrease of Ti volume fraction leads to the decrease of mechanical properties of composites. However, as a reasonable and efficient material design strategy, the brick-and-mortar structure ensured that the specific strength of the BMS-MIL composites with load perpendicular to the layer remained stable, with specific strength maintained between 345 and 353 kN m/kg. The compression properties with load parallel to the layer are significantly affected by the platelet's aspect ratio. The sample with 65% volume fraction Ti exhibited the optimal strength, specific strength, and failure strain when compressed parallel to the layer, with a strength of 1347.3 MPa, specific strength of 330.2 kN m/kg, and a failure strain of 6.32%.

Frequency‐dependent dynamic moduli prediction for general bio‐inspired staggered platelet reinforced composites

AbstractLoad‐bearing biological staggered composites, like nacre, teeth, and bone, possess an exceptional combination of material properties like high stiffness and high toughness. To date, most of the analytical research are for nacre‐like bio‐inspired staggered composites, with highly overlapped platelets. But the collagen fibril‐like staggered composites, with slender or barely overlapped platelets, are out of their scope. This motivates this work. In this paper, based on the previous research, according to the elastic‐viscoelastic corresponding principle, an analytical model for dynamic properties of general bio‐inspired staggered composites is presented. Moreover, the effect of loading frequency in a wide range is studied. The accuracy of the model is verified by comparison with existing models and finite element simulations. Besides, parametric analyses and sensitivity analysis are conducted thoroughly. The results reveal that besides the platelet concentration and the platelet aspect ratio, the platelet overlap ratio also influences the damping behavior of bio‐inspired staggered composites to a certain extent; for biological/biomimetic composites with a larger overlap ratio, higher loss modulus is possible to be achieved, and the optimal aspect ratio is mostly within [5, 30]. These findings are of great significance to the optimal design of bio‐inspired engineering materials in the future.

Dispersion and morphology analysis of PMMA/organoclay nanocomposites using the Ripley functions and determination of effective elastic properties

This paper deals with the microstructure of PMMA/organoclay nanocomposites and their effective elastic properties by the means of micro-mechanical modeling and numerical homogenization. PMMA matrix was reinforced by two types of organoclay (Cloisite 20A and Cloisite 30B) at both weight fraction from 1wt% to 5wt%. The microstructure characterization was based on the TEM images from which, Ripley functions K(r) and ImageJ software were used for organoclays dispersion and morphology analyses, respectively. Microstructures parameters such as elastic properties, volume fraction, random dispersion, platelet and prism inclusion types and aspect ratios were considered to 3D RVEs generation using Digimat-FE software. From the 3D RVEs, the numerical models were obtained and the effective elastic properties were determined by using Digimat-FE Solver. Thus, the variation of the computed properties has been investigated and illustrated. The Young’s moduli (E) of each aspect ratio were compared to experimental data. From the results, the nanocomposite rigidity depends not only on the organoclays volume fraction in PMMA matrix but also on the dispersion state and the considered aspect ratio. The inclusion type would therefore not have an important impact on the effective elastic properties. Considering the same volume fraction and dispersion state of the organoclays, the best elastic effective properties were obtained for the smallest aspect ratio.

Microstructural design for elastic wave attenuation in 3D printed nacre-like bioinspired metamaterials lightened with hollow platelets

In this work, the wave propagation properties of lightened bioinspired composite materials are investigated. A new lightened nacre-like microstructure is proposed demonstrating that the incorporation of hollow platelets inside the soft matrix and the application of specific prestress states represent a viable way for tuning the complete band gaps range without varying the geometry length scale and also improving the mechanical properties in terms of homogenized tangent moduli. The wave dispersion relations are obtained by adopting the Bloch-Floquet theory to investigate the appearance of complete band gaps for several geometrical and material parameters (platelets aspect ratio, matrix joints thickness, void volume fraction, and shear modulus contrast). The obtained results reveal new combinations of geometrical and material parameters for which excellent wave absorption capabilities in nacre-like periodic composite microstructure are obtained thanks to the application of prestress states which may provide new opportunities in the microstructural design of 3D printed composite metamaterials.

구리/그래핀 복합재의 전기전도도에 미치는 그래핀 입자 및 체적분율의 영향

Cu is most commonly used as a matrix in composites for high electrical and thermal conductivity. Recently, graphene has been researched to improve mechanical and electrical properties as reinforcing materials of composites owing to its excellent physical characteristics. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects in electrical conductivity according to the shape, structure, and the volume fraction of the graphene reinforcement for Cu/graphene composites. For the evaluation of the variation in electrical conductivity according to the shape and the volume fraction of graphene platelets, RVE was analyzed for models in the location and orientation of graphene which were randomly arranged or not. The change in electrical conductivity of the volume fraction and aspect ratio of graphene platelets was evaluated by using the ABAQUS program. Depending on the angle of graphene platelets, the electrical conductivity was the highest at 0°. In addition, in a relatively high volume fraction model, the electrical conductivity decreased quickly according to increase in the angle, and the variation was changed at angle 45° for the AR.

Maximum utilization of nacre-mimetic composites by architecture manipulation and interface modification towards critical damage state

Diverse ultrahigh-strength platelets offer immense promise for high-efficient energy-absorbing design of nacre-mimetic composites. Yet, incompatible interfacial bonding has greatly restricted the pull-out toughening efficiency to a superior level, resulting in insufficient utilization of platelet strength advantages. Herein, we demonstrate an ingenious critical damage state (CDS) control method to utterly exert the energy absorption potential of nacre-mimetics by pursuing the most efficient toughening mode, which is a universal maximum utilization strategy applicable to platelets with arbitrary strengths. Architecture manipulation results suggest that small aspect ratio platelets can generate superb toughness amplification, and stiffening effect is favored for large-size platelets with dense content and high offset ratio, which is consistent with experimental results. More importantly, by identifying the upper limit of shear strength and the lower limit of plastic deformability, we elucidate the interface modification principle imposed on optimized structure to achieve perfect compatibility. Interestingly, we find the uniform staggered pattern is more recommended for superior energy-absorbing design owing to its pronounced strengthening-toughening effect and looser compatibility restriction compared with the random staggered pattern. Furthermore, the proposed CDS control method should not only be generally feasible for nacre-mimetics, but also shed light on other hard/soft layered composite designs targeting utmost synergistic toughening.

Effect of the ratio of oxygen to nitrogen on the physicochemical and biocompatibility properties of titanium oxynitride

In this work, titanium surfaces were treated by plasma assisted thermochemical treatments in a plasma atmosphere containing Ar–N2 – O2 mixtures. Different N2/O2 ratios were used to investigate their effects on the physicochemical and biocompatibility properties of titanium. The crystalline and topographic phases of the surfaces by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were performed. The sessile drop test to measurements of contacts angles of both distilled water and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was used to evaluate the wettability. Platelet adhesion was determined by the distance and platelet aspect ratio, in addition to the visual aspect of the formed platelet clusters by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and AFM. In general, higher concentrations of nitrogen in the plasma showed greater platelet adhesion, indicating a biocompatible surface potential application in different areas such as in dental and orthopedic implants. On the other hand, samples treated with higher concentration of oxygen in the plasma showed low platelet adhesion, indicating that they are appropriate for application in devices such as stents, in which the maintenance of the blood flow pattern is essential.

Growth conditions and mechanisms for IrOx nano-platelet formation by reactive sputtering

Iridium oxide (IrOx) forms a wide array of tailorable nanostructures, including plates, rods, and cones. Despite a strong body of literature on nanostructured IrOx, prior work did not explore the specific growth conditions and mechanisms for platelet formation. Here we report on how IrOx nanoplatelets take their form during DC reactive sputtering deposition, highlight the conditions and growth mechanisms that lead to unique nanostructures, and demonstrate changes in morphology and crystal orientation via x-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The XRD spectra indicate that IrOx undergoes a substantial transition with increasing oxygen flow rate during deposition, with the initial face-centered cubic (111), (200) and (220) peaks vanishing, while the rutile (101) and (110) peaks emerge, with several intermediate peaks indicating transition species. Ultimately (101) emerges as the preferred orientation of the IrOx nanostructures, as evidenced by the time-series XRD spectra. Corresponding stress analysis indicates that in the absence of oxygen flow, the IrOx films are highly compressive, and that the film stress becomes significantly less compressive with increasing oxygen flow. This unlocks the use of IrOx as a highly tailorable nanostructured material, ranging from dense film to high aspect ratio platelets, by simply adjusting oxygen flow rate and/or sputtering time.

Pro-inflammatory response and genotoxicity caused by clay and graphene nanomaterials in A549 and THP-1 cells

Nanoclays and graphene oxide nanomaterials represent a class of materials sharing similar shapes constituted of high aspect ratio platelets. The increased production of these materials for various industrial applications increases the risk of occupational exposure, consequently with elevated risk of adverse reactions and development of pulmonary diseases, including lung cancer. In this study, pro-inflammatory responses and genotoxicity were assessed in alveolar epithelial cells (A549) and activated THP-1 macrophages (THP-1a) after exposure to three nanoclays; a pristine (Bentonite) and two surface modified (benzalkonium chloride-coated Nanofil9, and dialkyldimethyl-ammonium-coated NanofilSE3000); graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) nanomaterials. The pro-inflammatory response in terms of IL-8 expression was strongest in cells exposed to Bentonite, whereas surface modification resulted in decreased toxicity in both cell lines when exposed to Nanofil9 and NanofilSE3000. GO and r-GO induced a pro-inflammatory response in A549 cells, while no effect was detected with the two nanomaterials on THP-1a cells. The pro-inflammatory response was strongly correlated with in vivo inflammation in mice after intra-tracheal instillation when doses were normalized against surface area. Genotoxicity was assessed as DNA strand breaks, using the alkaline comet assay. In A549 cells, an increase in DNA strand breaks was detected only in cells exposed to Bentonite, whereas Bentonite, NanofilSE3000 and GO caused an increased level of genotoxicity in THP-1a cells. Genotoxicity in THP-1a cells was concordant with the DNA damage in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cells following 1 and 3 days after intra-tracheal instillation in mice. In conclusion, this study shows that surface modification of pristine nanoclays reduces the inflammatory and genotoxic response in A549 and THP-1a cells, and these in vitro models show comparable toxicity to what seen in previous mouse studies with the same materials.

Macro- and micro-instabilities in incompressible bioinspired composite materials with nacre-like microstructure

In this work, we study the macroscopic and microscopic instabilities in 2D incompressible nacre-like composite materials induced by uniaxial loadings. The interchange between macro- and micro-instabilities in bioinspired composite materials has been investigated by examining different combinations of platelets volume fraction, aspect ratio, and shear modulus contrast between the stiff (platelets) and soft (matrix) phases. It has been highlighted that the critical instability mode shapes, together with their critical load factors and wavelengths, are highly influenced by the microscopic geometrical arrangement and the material composition. For a wide range of geometrical and material parameters, the instabilities are found to be global with an in-phase mode shape. It has been shown that the out-of-phase instability mode shapes occur at a significantly higher magnitude of the homogenized energy compared to the in-phase ones. The results indicate that, adopting a small unit cell assembly, the microscopic stability analysis provides in most of cases strong underestimates of the critical stretch ratios, and that an accurate and efficient instability prediction can be instead obtained based on the loss of strong ellipticity condition of the homogenized incremental moduli tensor, except for few cases in which local modes occur.

Stability analysis at the micro- and macro-scales in periodic bioinspired composites

This work deals with the onset of instabilities at the microscopic and macroscopic scales in uniaxially compressed bioinspired composite materials with periodic microstructure. particular, the interchange between macro- and micro-instabilities in incompressible nacre-like composite materials has been investigated for different combinations of platelets aspect ratio, platelets volume fraction and shear modulus contrast between platelets and soft matrix. It has been demonstrated that the critical stretch ratios and the critical mode shapes are highly influenced by both the geometrical and materials parameters. The stability analyses highlighted that the microscopic stability analysis provides in most cases strong underestimates of the critical stretch ratios (adopting a small unit cell assembly), and that, by performing a macroscopic stability analysis based on the strong ellipticity condition of the homogenized tangent moduli tensor, a more accurate evaluation of the load associated with the primary instability can be instead obtained with less computational efforts. In addition, for a wide range of the investigated parameters, the instabilities are found to be characterized by long wavelengths with an in-phase critical mode shape.

Nanoscale Thin Film Corrosion Barriers Enabled By Multilayer Polymer Clay Nanocomposites

Ultrathin nanocomposite films fabricated by layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly are an emerging class of coatings with remarkable barrier performance. Here, we examine LBL polymer-clay nanocomposite (PCN) coatings that afford anti-corrosion properties comparable to those exhibited by more traditional films that are orders of magnitude thicker. PCN barrier thin films comprised of up to 40 bilayers of polyethyleneimine (PEI) and exfoliated laponite (LAP), montmorillonite (MMT), or vermiculite (VMT) clay platelets were coated onto steel plates using a scalable LBL dip-coating process. A combination of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and ex-situ electron and vibrational spectroscopy were used to evaluate coating performance during exposure in 0.6 M NaCl for up to 7 days. A PEI/VMT crosslinked coating of only 250 nm thick slowed the corrosion rate of mild steel by three orders of magnitude (Rct = 106 vs. 103 Ω-cm2) after seven days in 0.6 M NaCl. This performance exceeded the reported performance of other LBL coatings along with much thicker multilayer composite coatings and several conventional pretreatments on mild steel under similar test conditions. The exceptional performance is attributed to the effective barrier properties imparted by a high loading (>80 wt%) of orientated, high aspect ratio (2000:1) platelet layers in a nanobrick wall morphology. Substitution of VMT with lower aspect ratio clay platelets of either MMT (400:1) or LAP (30:1) showed that coated steel corrosion rates and apparent coating permeability scales with platelet size following LAP > MMT >> VMT. Thus, this study has for the first time shown that platelet aspect ratio is a primary means of improving the performance LbL nanocomposite coatings which is in line with the expected behavior of conventional nanocomposites. Given film debonding from the substrate was observed as a common failure mode during exposure for all coating types, replacement of the PEI polymer component with a more debonding-resistant polymer may be an additional pathway to further improve LbL PCN anticorrosion performance.

Multi-parameter structural optimization to reconcile mechanical conflicts in nacre-like composites

Natural nacre exhibits a remarkable combination of high stiffness, strength, and toughness, originating from its ingenious hierarchical staggered structure. However, the conflicts among different mechanical indicators usually have negative effects on improving the comprehensive performance of nacre-like composites. In this study, we develop an optimization approach to determining the optimum structural parameters of nacre-like composites to reconcile mechanical conflicts and achieve desired comprehensive properties by combining theoretical framework and finite element simulation. For regularly staggered model, exact explicit solutions for Young’s modulus, strength, and toughness under three different cases of deformation and failure modes are given through rigorous derivations based on brick-and-mortar (BM) microstructure. For randomly staggered model, the mechanical response and failure mechanism are identified through numerical simulation. Parametric studies are conducted to investigate the effects of platelet volume fraction, aspect ratio, and offset ratio on mechanical properties. Using the weighted equation, we achieve the structural optimization with a simultaneous requirement of various mechanical indicators and illustrate the optimum results by ternary diagram. The presented insights should pave the way for optimization design of biomimetic composites for desired mechanical properties.

Phosphonated Poly(ethylene terephthalate) ionomers as compatibilizers in extruded Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/Poly(m-xylylene adipamide) blends and oriented films

Blends of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and poly(m-xylylene adipamide) (MXD6) were successfully compatibilized by using a phosphonated PET ionomer in the Na+ form (Na+-PPET) as a compatibilizer. The compatibilized 90:10 (by weight) polyester/polyamide blends containing various amounts of the phosphonated polyester were prepared by melt mixing in a twin-screw extruder. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the extruded blends contained spherical MXD6 domains dispersed in the PET matrix. The phase-separated MXD6 domain size decreased with increasing ionic monomer concentration, and the efficient compatibilization was attributed to specific interactions between the ionic phosphonate groups on the Na+-PPET ionomer and the amide linkages of MXD6. Thermal analysis suggested that the small MXD6 domains nucleated the crystallization of PET upon cooling as indicated by a shift of crystallization temperature of PET to higher temperatures. Furthermore, the specific interactions appeared to inhibit crystallization of MXD6. Biaxial orientation of melt processed films of the blends with a draw ratio of 3 × 3 transformed the spherical MXD6 domains into high aspect ratio platelets that were oriented in the plane of the film. Compared to the uncompatibilized base blends, optical property characterization on the oriented films revealed a decreased haziness by 56% and an improved transparency by 35% with 0.22 mol% of phosphonated ionic monomers incorporated in the polyester component. Moreover, a 33% decrease in oxygen permeability was found for the oriented Na+-PPET/PET/MXD6 blend composition containing 0.11 mol% of phosphonated monomers.

Influence of Graphene Platelet Aspect Ratio on the Mechanical Properties of HDPE Nanocomposites: Microscopic Observation and Micromechanical Modeling.

A series of high-density polyethylene nanocomposites filled with different diameter sizes (5, 15, and 25 μm) of graphene nanoplatelets at various amounts (0.5–5 wt.%) are prepared by the melt-mixing method. The effect of diameter size and filler content on the mechanical properties is reported, and the results are discussed in terms of morphology and the state of dispersion within the polymer matrix. The measured stiffness and strength of the nanocomposites were found to be mainly influenced by the filler aspect ratio and the filler-matrix adhesion. Fractography was utilized to study the embrittleness of the nanocomposites, and the observations revealed that a ductile to brittle transition is caused by a micro-deformation mechanism change in the nanocomposites. Several micromechanical models for the prediction of mechanical properties of nanocomposites, taking into consideration filler aspect ratio, percolation effect, and interphase regions, are considered. The three-phase model proposed by Ji accurately predicts the stiffness of graphene nanoplatelets with a higher diameter size, while Takayanagi modified model II was found to show good agreement with the experimental results of smaller ones at low filler content. This study demonstrates that the diameter size of the filler plays a central role in determining the mechanical properties.

Effect of variations in microstructure on clay elastic anisotropy

Rock physics provides a crucial link between seismic and reservoir properties, but it requires knowledge of the elastic properties of rock components. Whereas the elastic properties of most rock components are known, the anisotropic elastic properties of clay are not. Scanning electron microscopy studies of clay in shales indicate that individual clay platelets vary in orientation but are aligned locally. We present a simple model of the elastic properties of a region (domain) of locally aligned clay platelets that accounts for the volume fraction, aspect ratio, and elastic-stiffness tensor of clay platelets, as well as the effective elastic properties of the interplatelet medium. Variations in clay anisotropy are quantified by examining the effects of varying model parameters upon the effective transverse-isotropic (TI) elastic-stiffness tensor of a domain. Statistics of these distributions and correlations between stiffnesses and anisotropy parameters enable the most probable sets of stiffnesses to be identified for rock physics calculations. The mean of these distributions is on the order of twice the mode for in-plane stiffnesses ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]), but it is of the same order as the mode for out-of-plane stiffnesses ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]). Despite random sampling, well-defined relations emerge, consistent with similar shale relations reported in the literature. Expressing these relations in terms of [Formula: see text] for a single domain of aligned clay platelets facilitates their general application. In the limit that the volume fraction approaches unity, the elastic stiffnesses thus derived reproduce those of the clay mineral assumed as platelets. Given the elastic-stiffness tensor of a single domain of aligned clay platelets, the effective TI elastic-stiffness tensor of clay is obtained by integrating over the clay-platelet orientation-distribution function.

Vibration behavior of functionally graded sandwich beam with porous core and nanocomposite layers

This paper presents the influence of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) waviness, aspect ratio, internal pores and graphene platelets (GPLs) on the vibrational behavior of functionally graded nanocomposite sandwich beams resting on two-parameter elastic foundations. The distributions of CNTs are considered functionally graded (FG) or uniform along the thickness of upper and bottom layers of the sandwich beam and their mechanical properties are estimated by an extended rule of mixture. In this study, the classical theory concerning the mechanical efficiency of a matrix embedding finite length fibers has been modified by introducing the tube-to-tube random contact, which explicitly accounts for the progressive reduction of the tubes\' effective aspect ratio as the filler content increases. The core of structure is porous and the internal pores and graphene platelets (GPLs) are distributed in the matrix of core either uniformly or non-uniformly according to three different patterns. The elastic properties of the nanocomposite are obtained by employing Halpin-Tsai micromechanics model. The equations of motion are derived based on Timoshenko beam theory and employing Hamilton\'s principle. The problem is modeled using a semi-analytical approach composed of generalized differential quadrature method (GDQM) and series solution adopted to solve the equations of motion. Detailed parametric studies are carried out to investigate carbon nanotubes (CNTs) waviness, CNT aspect ratio, porosity coefficient, porosity distribution, graphene platelets (GPLs) distribution, Winkler foundation modulus, shear elastic foundation modulus and geometrical conditions on the vibrational behavior of the sandwich structure.

Melt-Mixed 3D Hierarchical Graphene/Polypropylene Nanocomposites with Low Electrical Percolation Threshold.

Graphene-based materials are a family of carbonaceous structures that can be produced using a variety of processes either from graphite or other precursors. These materials are typically a few layered sheets of graphene in the form of platelets and maintain some of the properties of pristine graphene (such as two-dimensional platelet shape, aspect ratio, and graphitic bonding). In this work we present melt mixed graphene-based polypropylene systems with significantly reduced percolation threshold. Traditionally melt-mixed systems suffer from poor dispersion that leads to high electrical percolation values. In contrast in our work, graphene was added into an isotactic polypropylene matrix, achieving an electrical percolation threshold of ~1 wt.%. This indicates that the filler dispersion process has been highly efficient, something that leads to the suppression of the β phase that have a strong influence on the crystallization behavior and subsequent thermal and mechanical performance. The electrical percolation values obtained are comparable with reported solution mixed systems, despite the use of simple melt mixing protocols and the lack of any pre or post-treatment of the final compositions. The latter is of particular importance as the preparation method used in this work is industrially relevant and is readily scalable.