Enhanced physical properties of poly(vinyl alcohol)-based single-walled carbon nanotube nanocomposites through ozone treatment of single-walled carbon nanotubes

Single-walled carbon nanotubes were treated with ozone through the UV-ozone irradiation to improve their dispersion in poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix. The untreated single-walled carbon nanotubes-poly(vinyl alcohol) and ozone-treated single-walled carbon nanotubes-poly(vinyl alcohol) nanocomposites were prepared at 1% single-walled carbon nanotubes by weight to evaluate the effect of ozone treatment on the rheological, electrical, and thermal properties of poly(vinyl alcohol)-based single-walled carbon nanotube nanocomposites. Rheological results such as storage modulus, loss modulus and loss tangent indicated that incorporation of ozone-treated single-walled carbon nanotubes into poly(vinyl alcohol) up to 1% (by wt.) significantly improved the interfacial bonding between carbon nanotubes and polymer. Electrical results revealed that ozone treatment of single-walled carbon nanotubes improved the dispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes in neat poly(vinyl alcohol) and reduced the distance between carbon nanotubes in carbon nanotubes-polymer network and as a result the electrical conductivity increased up to four orders of magnitude compared with neat poly(vinyl alcohol). Differential scanning calorimetric results showed that combining ozone-treated single-walled carbon nanotubes (1% by wt.) with poly(vinyl alcohol) enhanced the melting temperature and degree of crystallinity of the neat poly(vinyl alcohol).