Investigation on mechanical, electrical and morphological of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) reinforced with different particle size and composition of graphene nanoplatelets (GNP)

Abstract

Graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) are just one of the attractive graphene-based nanomaterials that are rapidly emerging and have sparked the interest of many industries. These small stacks of platelet-shaped graphene sheets have a unique size and morphology that quickly disperse into other materials such as polymers, resulting in higher-value composite materials with improved thermal, conductivity, and mechanical capabilities. A detailed analysis of reinforced High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) using different sizes (2, 15, 25 µm) and compositions (8, 10, 15 wt.%) of Graphene Nanoplatelets (GNP) has been conducted. The microstructure of the HDPE/GNP nanocomposites was extensively examined during the melt blending and injection moulding processes. Based on the results, the nanocomposites with different sizes of GNP exhibited dissimilar behaviour with different compositions. Furthermore, scanning electron microscope (SEM) results indicated a homogeneous dispersion for GNP in melt mixing. Moreover, thermogravimetric (TG) data demonstrate that increasing filler showed a slight increase in the material's thermal stability. The use of GNP improved mechanical properties, as evidenced by the increases in Young's modulus of yield strength from around 100 MPa to over 400 MPa. This study provides a practical reference for the industrial preparation of polymer-based graphene nanocomposites.