Effect of the aggregate morphology on the dispersability of MWCNTs in polymer melts

Polystyrene nanocomposites filled with multi-walled carbon nanotubes have been prepared through a masterbatch melt mixing method and subjected to morphological, rheological and dielectrical analyses. The role of the structure of the initial aggregates has been investigated by comparing commercially available and synthesized MWCNTs prepared through fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition method and purified through a scalable one-pot route. Electron microscopy analyses reveal a less compact structure of the synthesized particles, in which the nanotubes are arranged in less entangled boundles. This reduces the stremgth of the initial agglomerates, thus enhancing their dispersability inside the host polymer by means of melt compounding as confirmed by both rheological and dielectrical measurements.