A multifunctional integrated carbon nanotubes/polyphenylene sulfide composite: preparation, properties and...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) composites with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) show promise, but challenges remain in achieving cost-efficiency, good dispersion, and multifunctionality due to PPS's solvent resistance.
• Developing integrated PPS composites with enhanced properties and processability is crucial for advanced material applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a cost-efficient and effective method for preparing well-dispersed, multifunctional carbon nanotubes-polyphenylene sulfide (CNTs-PPS) composites.
• To investigate the use of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a dispersant for PPS particles and CNTs at room temperature.
• To characterize the properties and potential applications of the resulting CNTs-PPS/PVA composite material.

Main Methods:

• Mucus dispersion-annealing technique utilizing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to disperse micron-sized PPS particles and CNTs at room temperature.
• Dispersion analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to observe particle distribution and interpenetration.
• Annealing process to induce deformation and crosslinking of PPS particles with CNTs and PVA.

Main Results:

• PVA effectively dispersed PPS particles and CNTs, facilitating micro-nano scale interpenetration.
• The annealed CNTs-PPS/PVA composite exhibited excellent heat stability (up to 350 °C) and corrosion resistance (30 days against strong acids/alkalis).
• The composite demonstrated distinguished electrical conductivity (2941 S m⁻¹) and was successfully used for 3D printing microcircuits.

Conclusions:

• The mucus dispersion-annealing method offers a simple and effective approach for creating multifunctional CNTs-PPS composites from solvent-resistant polymers.
• The developed CNTs-PPS/PVA composite shows significant potential for applications requiring high performance, such as in advanced electronics and microcircuitry.
• This work overcomes previous limitations in PPS composite development, paving the way for novel integrated material systems.