In this paper, nanocomposites based on polypropylene (PP) filled with up to 5 wt.% of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were investigated for determining the material property data used in numerical simulation of manufacturing processes such as the injection molding and extrusion. PP/MWCNT nanocomposite pellets were characterized for rheological behavior, crystallinity, specific volume and thermal conductivity, while injection-molded samples were characterized for mechanical and electrical properties. The addition of MWCNTs does not significantly change the melting and crystallization behavior of the PP/MWCNT nanocomposites. The effect of MWCNTs on melt shear viscosity is more pronounced at low shear rates and MWCNT loadings of 1–5 wt.%. However, with the addition of up to 5 wt.% of MWCNTs, the PP/MWCNT nanocomposite still behaves like a non-Newtonian fluid. The specific volume of the PP/MWCNT nanocomposites decreases with increasing MWCNT loading, especially in the MWCNT range of 1–5 wt.%, indicating better dimensional stability. The thermal conductivity, depending on the pressure, MWCNT wt.% and temperature, did not exceed 0.35 W/m·K. The PP/MWCNT nanocomposite is electrical non-conductive up to 3 wt.%, whereas after the percolating path is created, the nanocomposite with 5 wt.% becomes semi-conductive with an electrical conductivity of 10⁻¹ S/m. The tensile modulus, tensile strength and stress at break increase with increasing MWCNT loading, whereas the elongation at break significantly decreases with increasing MWCNT loading. The Cross and modified 2-domain Tait models are suitable for predicting the melt shear viscosity and specific volume as a function of MWCNTs, respectively. These results enable users to integrate the PP/MWCNT nanocomposites into computer aided engineering analysis.

In this work, the viscoelastic behavior of polypropylene (PP)/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanocomposites was investigated by indentation testing and phenomenological modeling. Firstly, indentation tests including two-cycle indentation were carried out on PP/MWCNT nanocomposite with three MWCNT loadings (1, 3 and 5 wt %). Next, the Maxwell–Voigt–Kelvin model coupled with two-cycle indentation tests was used to predict the shear creep compliance function and the equivalent indentation modulus. The indentation hardness and elastic modulus of the PP/MWCNT nanocomposites extracted based on the Oliver and Pharr method were compared with the equivalent indentation modulus predicted based on the Maxwell–Voigt–Kelvin mode. The experimental results indicated that the addition of nanotubes into the polypropylene has a positive effect on the micro-mechanical properties of PP/MWCNT nanocomposites. Indentation hardness and elastic modulus increased significantly with increasing MWCNT loading. The creep resistance at the micro-scale of the PP/MWCNT nanocomposites improved with the addition of MWCNTs, with creep displacement reduced by up to 20% by increasing the carbon nanotube loading from 1 to 5 wt %. The Maxwell–Voigt–Kelvin model with three and five Voigt–Kelvin units accurately predicted the shear creep function and its change with increasing MWCNT loading. However, the equivalent indentation modulus was found to be sensitive to the number of Voigt–Kelvin units: the more Voigt–Kelvin units, the better the model predicts the equivalent indentation modulus.

This paper reports on the 3D printing of flexible and stretchable parts based on multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/polyester-based thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanocomposites. The rheological properties of the WCNT/TPU nanocomposites with different wt% of MWCNTs (0.1–3) were determined and used as guidance for the extrusion and 3D printing processes. MWCNT/TPU filaments were extruded and used for 3D printing of different flexible and stretchable parts. The mechanical, electrical, and piezoresistive response of the MWCNT/TPU nanocomposite filaments and 3D printed parts under static and monotonic loading was studied. The experimental results show that with increasing temperature and shear rate, respectively, the shear viscosity of the MWCNT/TPU nanocomposite decreases, whereas the viscosity increases with increasing wt% of MWCNTs. With the addition of MWCNTs, the elastic modulus and tensile strength of the feedstock filament all increase, enhancing the printability of TPU by increasing the buckling resistance and the stability of the 3D printed layer. The electrical conductivity of the 3D printed MWCNT/TPU nanocomposites increases with increasing wt% of MWCNTs and exceeds the conductivity of the filaments. The 3D printed MWCNT/TPU nanocomposites with 3 wt% show an electrical conductivity about 10 S/m, irrespective of the printing direction. Moreover, the 3D printed MWCNT/TPU nanocomposites exhibit good mechanical properties and high piezoresistive sensitivity with gauge factor (50–600) dependent on both strain and printing direction.

This study investigates virgin and recycled high-density polyethylene/multi-walled carbon nanotube (HDPE/MWCNT) composites using thermophysical and mechanical characterization techniques to generate knowledge and understand the recyclability of these composites. First, virgin samples with 0.1–5 wt% of MWCNTs were prepared by injection molding. Then, the HDPE/MWCNT composite waste, selectively collected based on the nanotube wt%, was mechanically recycled and successively reprocessed by injection molding. The experimental results show that the degradation process of the end-user properties (mechanical and electrical properties) depends on the MWCNT loading. The higher the carbon nanotube loading, the higher the degradation of the end-user properties. The HDPE/MWCNT composites were found to be resistant to degradation at carbon nanotube loadings below the percolation threshold (located around 3 wt%). In contrast, the recycled HDPE/MWCNT composites with 5 wt% showed a reduction in viscosity, mechanical and electrical properties with recycling. After four reprocessing cycles, degradation in the Young modulus (−35%), tensile strength (−25%), elongation at break (−60%), and electrical conductivity (−2 orders of magnitude) of the HDPE/MWCNT composite with 5 wt% was observed as compared with the virgin composite. From an industrial perspective, it is feasible to recycle HDPE/MWCNT composite waste by mechanical recycling and reuse it to manufacture products with favorable mechanical properties, covering insulating, antistatic and semiconducting ranges depending on the MWCNT loading, owing to the protective effect of carbon nanotubes against thermomechanical degradation.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on various material properties of the polyamide 66 (PA66) nanocomposites. This is achieved first by investigating the effect of CNTs (0.1–5 wt.%) on the material properties of PA66 pellets, and second, on the injection-molded PA66/CNT nanocomposites. Thermal analysis revealed that CNTs do not have a significant effect on the melting behavior and melting temperature of PA66/CNT nanocomposites, but they increase the crystallization temperature of the nanocomposites. Rheological analysis showed that the melt shear viscosity of the PA66 increased with increasing CNT content particularly above 1 wt.%. Additionally, the PA66 nanocomposites exhibit shear-thinning behavior, and this effect is more significant at higher CNT contents. The FT-IR analysis revealed the absence of chemical bonds between PA66 and CNTs and, consequently, the uniform dispersion of CNTs in the PA66 matrix. Mechanical testing indicated that the inclusion of CNTs (0.1 to 5 wt.%) in PA66 matrix could not improve the tensile modulus to a great extent, while it decreased the ultimate tensile strength of PA66 nanocomposites under tension. On the other hand, CNTs positively influenced the mechanical behavior under bending (+15% increase at 5 wt.%). Among the nanocomposites, PA66 filled with 5 wt.% CNTs exhibited the optimal mechanical performance in terms of tensile strength (58 MPa), tensile modulus (2689 MPa), bending modulus (2072 MPa), and bending strength (104 MPa). The experimental results also showcase the significant improvement in the tensile and bending mechanical properties of the injection-molded PA66 nanocomposites after thermal annealing at −40 °C and 180 °C for one hour. This experimental study provides guidelines for the structure–property–processability of the PA66 nanocomposites, revealing the complex relationship between the CNTs and the enhancement of mechanical properties, while highlighting the potential of thermal annealing in improving the mechanical performance of PA66 nanocomposites. This will be further investigated to promote the use of PA66 nanocomposite in industrial applications.