Aniline-Modified Polypropylene as a Compatibilizer in Polypropylene Carbon Nanotube Composites.

Maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene (PP-g-MA) was reacted with aniline (NH₂C₆H₅) to produce PP-g-NHC₆H₅ and used as a compatibilizer in polypropylene/carbon nanotube composites. Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance confirmed the reaction between PP-g-MA and aniline. PP-g-NHC₆H₅ resulted a better compatibilizer than PP-g-MA, producing good dispersion and homogeneous distribution of the carbon nanotubes with less agglomerates, as observed by SEM analysis. Improved dispersion and distribution is assumed to be due to the π-π interactions between the -C₆H₅ ring in the prepared compatibilizer and the hexagonal carbon structure in the nanotubes. In addition, a higher degree of crystallinity (12%) was promoted, since it was favored by π-π interactions. This achieved higher crystallinity promoted an increase in tensile modulus, with only slight changes in tensile strength but with an adverse effect on elongation at break. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]