Mechanical Properties of Polyethylene-Carbon Nanotube Composites Synthesized by In Situ Polymerization Using Metallocene Catalysts

Table 1

Mechanical properties of PE and PE/MWCNT nanocomposite.

Parameters^a	Neat PE	Composite
× 10^3	70.9	67.4
(%)	51.2	74.7
Branches^d/1000 C	4	9
Tensile strength (MPa)	31.6	30.1
Young’s modulus (MPa)	201	132
Elongation (%)	2.5	3.7
Energy at break (J/m^2)	55.05	76.87

^aPolymerization conditions: catalyst (Cp₂ZrCl₂) = 14 µmol, CNT = 2.5 wt.%, time = 30 minutes, toluene = 80 mL, (Al)/(M) = 750, temp. = 30°C, stirring at 1500 rpm, and activity is in the order of 10⁶ g·PE/mol-Zr h bar. ^bDetermined by TREF analysis using a light-scattering detector. ^cDetermined by DSC measurements. ^dDetermined by NMR analysis.