Liquid sensing properties of melt processed polypropylene/poly(ε-caprolactone) blends containing multiwalled carbon nanotubes

Petra Pötschke (1) , Kazufumi Kobashi (1) , Tobias Villmow (1) , Timo Andres (1) , Maria Conceição Paiva (2) , José António Covas (2)

1 Department of Polymer Reactions and Blends
2 Department of Polymer Engineering

The sensing properties of polypropylene (PP)/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) blends containing multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) were studied in terms of their electrical resistance change in presence of liquids (solvents). The preparation of co-continuous blends based on the double percolation concept was done by melt mixing of electrically conductive PCL composites containing 3wt.% MWNT and neat PP in ratios of 30:70, 40:60, and 50:50. The electrical resistance change of the PCL-MWNT composites and blends was monitored in a solvent immersion/drying cycle. Various solvents, such as n-hexane, ethanol, methanol, water, toluene, chloroform, and tetrahydrofuran were successfully detected, yielding different responses and reversibility of the resistance changes.

Mots clés: A. Carbon nanotubes; Nano composites; Polymer-matrix composites (PMCs); B. Electrical properties; E. Melt-spinning

Domaines: Matériaux

Petra Pötschke, Kazufumi Kobashi, Tobias Villmow, Timo Andres, Maria Conceição Paiva, et al.. Liquid sensing properties of melt processed polypropylene/poly(ε-caprolactone) blends containing multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Composites Science and Technology, 2011, 71 (12), pp.1451. ⟨10.1016/j.compscitech.2011.05.019⟩. ⟨hal-00786586⟩