Temperature Dependence of Oxygen Diffusion Into Polymer/Carbon Nanotube Composite Films

Abstract

This study examines the transport properties of polystyrene (PS)/multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) composite films taking into consideration both MWNT composition and temperature via fluorescence technique. Three different (3 15 and 40 wt%) MWNT content films were prepared from PS/MWNT mixtures by annealing them at 170 degrees C above the glass transition temperature of PS for 10 min. The diffusivity of the PS/MWNT composite was determined by performing oxygen (O2) diffusion measurements within a temperature range of 24 to 70 degrees C for each film and pyrene (P) was used as the fluorescent probe. The diffusion coefficients (D) of oxygen were determined by the fluorescence quenching method assuming Fickian transport. Results indicated that D values are strongly dependent on both temperature and the MWNT content in the film and it was also observed that D coefficients obey Arrhenius behavior from which diffusion energies were produced and increased along with increases of MWNT content. POLYM. ENG. SCI. 2012. (C) 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers