High Density Polyethylene (PE grade HXM-50100) pellets provided by Chevron Phillips Chemical Company have been loaded with various amounts of carbon nanofibers (Pyrograph III PR-19-from Applied Sciences Inc.) by melt blending using a Haake Rheomex. The mixing was performed at 180 ˚C and 60 rpm for about 12 min. The nanocomposites were hot pressed at about 150<sup>o</sup>C for 2 minutes. The as obtained films have been investigated by Wide Angle X-Ray Scattering (Discovery 8, Bruker equipped with the large area detector and heating accessory), Electron Spin Resonance (Elexsys, Bruker X Band spectrometer), and confocal Raman microscope (Senterra, Bruker). X-Ray and Electron Spin Resonance measurements on both as obtained and stretched nanocomposites are reported. The effect of the uniaxial stress on the WAXS spectra and ESR spectra is reported. Additional DSC data were used to analyze the effect of the nanofiller and of mechanical stresses on the melting and crystallization processes. Fig. 1 shows the X-Ray spectra of pressed and stretched nanocomposite containing 20 % wt. nanofibers. Fig. 2 shows the angular dependence of the g-factor (relative to the external magnetic field) for a sample subjected to uniaxial stretching and demonstrates the alignment of carbon nanofibers. Not stretched sample shows no angular dependence.

Spectroscopic Investigations of polyethylene-carbon nanofibers composites

249th National Meeting (2015)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.