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Graphene/Polypropylene Nanocomposites, Carmen Karam Abuoudah

Theses

Graphene has been regarded as a multifunctional nanofiller for manufacturing polymer nanocomposites. A small amount of graphene nanosheets is expected to significantly improve the properties of base polymers. The property enhancement, however, is a function of the degree of exfoliation and dispersion of graphene as well as its compatibility with the polymer. The non-polar nature of polyolefins such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) restricts the homogeneous dispersion of graphene, leading to significant agglomeration of the nanosheets and thus, limiting the expected property improvements in polyolefins. Currently, more efforts are focused on finding strategies to improve graphene dispersion in polyolefins. …