Morphology, thermal stability, and electrical conductivity of polymer nanocomposites of isotactic polypropylene/multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Molecular weight of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and concentration of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) effects on the morphology, thermal stability, and electrical conductivity for iPP/MWCNT nanocomposites were evaluated. Nanocomposites were prepared by solution mixing followed by non-isothermal crystallization from the melt. The samples were characterized by different physical-chemical techniques. Electrical conductivity was obtained from electrical resistance measured using a source meter. It was determined that the morphology of the nanocomposites shows a change from spherulitic to fibrillar to undefined depending on the molecular weight of iPP and concentration of MWCNT. Morphology was correlated with thermal stability and electrical conductivity.