Enhanced mechanical properties and thermal stability of PSMA by functionalized graphene nanosheets

Abstract

Poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) (PSMA) is an important heat boosting additive of some engineering materials. In this study, functionalized graphene nanosheets were developed and introduced to composite with PSMA through a simple physical blending method. To promote a homogeneous dispersion of graphene in PSMA, graphite oxide (GO) was functionalized with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS) before the reduction. The successful functionalization of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). This modified RGO was introduced into PSMA, and DMA was employed to investigate the mechanical properties. The results showed that the mechanical storage modulus of PSMA was greatly improved, especially at high temperature. Meanwhile, the thermal stability of PSMA/APTS-RGO was also greatly enhanced.