There is a rapid commercialization and proliferation of consumer products containing nanomaterials. CNTs, CNF and graphene are used as fillers to improve properties of polymers. Since the polymer composites with nanomaterials are aged by UV, sunlight, and different weather conditions, their properties change over time. Eventually, they are broken down and the embedded nanomaterials are released to the environment during the use or end-of-life of nanocomposites. Therefore, there is a need to understand the changes in properties and estimate nanorelease from the composites to evaluate their potential harm to human health and the environment.<br/>We performed thermogravimetric (TG) and differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) analyses for aged nanomaterial embedded polymer composites under simulated weathering conditions to understand their thermal property changes as a part of the implication study. Based on the decomposition kinetics of results of TG and DSC analyses, we calculated activation energy of aged samples and investigated their activation energy changes by aging under different weather conditions. In this presentation, results of the changes of thermal property and activation energy of the aged samples and how they can be used to predict the release of nanoparticles will be shown.

Implication of nanomaterial embedded polymer composites in the environment: Decomposition kinetics and nanorelease of environmentally aging CNT composites based of activation energy calculation

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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