Characterization and antistatic behavior of SiO2-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube/poly(trimethylene terephthalate) composites

The aim of the present work was to improve the properties of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) by forming composites with silica (SiO2) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Inorganic fillers were pretreated using an in-situ sol–gel process, and then silica particles were attached to the surfaces of the multiwalled carbon nanotubes (SiO2-MWCNTs). Maleic anhydride (MA) grafted with PTT (PTT-g-MA) and silica-multihydroxyl-functionalized MWCNTs (SiO2-MWCNTs-OH) were used to improve the compatibility and dispersibility of the MWCNTs within the PTT matrix. The composites were characterized morphologically by transmission electron microscopy and chemically using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, 13C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. The PTT-g-MA/SiO2-MWCNTs-OH (1 wt.%) composite exhibited significantly improved thermal properties. The functionalized PTT-g-MA/SiO2-MWCNTs-OH composite also showed markedly enhanced antistatic properties. The optimal proportion of SiO2-MWCNTs-OH in the composite was 1 wt.%; adding more than this compromised the compatibility between the organic and inorganic phases.