Polyolefin - Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites: Interfacial Interactions and Low Temperature Brittleness Reduction

Summary The interfacial interactions and low temperature brittleness of high density polyethylene (PE)‐chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) blends as well as their nanocomposites with graphene oxide (G) were characterized. The filler and the CPE phases were observed to have chemical interaction during solution mixing which enhanced during melt mixing of CPE‐graphene oxide masterbatch with PE matrix. Majority of the Cl atoms in the CPE chains were observed to be depleted during chemical reaction or thermal degradation at melt compounding temperature, thus, resulting in chlorine free materials. The samples with CPE35 could not be sufficiently hardened even at −180 °C and remained too soft for cryo‐sectioning. The composites had even higher degree of surface roughness due to additional effect of weak filler matrix interactions.