Effects of graphene nano-platelets size and content on tensile properties of polypropylene composites at higher tension rate

Abstract

The influence of graphene nano-platelets size and content on tensile properties of polypropylene composites was investigated by means of a universal testing machine under room temperature and tension rate 300 mm/min. The results showed that the Young’s modulus increased with increasing graphene nano-platelets weight fraction, the tensile yield strength and the tensile fracture strength increased when graphene nano-platelets weight fraction was lower than 0.4 wt.%, and then varied slightly with increasing graphene nano-platelets weight fraction; while the tensile elongation at break decreased with increasing graphene nano-platelets weight fraction. In addition, the difference in tensile yield strength, tensile fracture strength, and tensile elongation at break between the composites reinforced separately with different size graphene nano-platelets was not significant under these experimental conditions; this could be attributed to the interfacial layer between the filler and the matrix could transfer some stress under tensile load.