Buckypaper of polyvinyl chloride/p‐phenylenediamine modified graphite and PVC/graphite via resin infiltration technique

Resin‐infiltration technique has been employed as a versatile method to improve nanofiller dispersion in matrix. In this article, fabrication of polyvinyl chloride (PVC)/p‐phenylenediamine (PPD)/functional graphite (F‐G) and PVC/F‐G composite paper have been reported through resin‐infiltration techniques. Synthesis and characterization of PVC/PPD/F‐G and PVC/F‐G composite papers for enhanced structural, morphological, thermal, hardness, wettability, and conductivity properties have been studied. Moreover, the effect of increasing amount of F‐G and PPD/F‐G nanofiller on composite paper properties was scrutinized and compared. Transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy depicted better graphite nanofiller dispersion in PVC matrix and network formation in PVC/PPD/F‐G composite paper. Maximum degradation temperature (T_max) of PVC/PPD/F‐G 0.08 composite paper (517°C) was found higher than PVC/F‐G 0.08 composite paper (484°C). Dynamic contact angle analysis shows that the PVC/PPD/F‐G and PVC/F‐G composite papers have better surface wettability than neat PVC. PVC/PDD/F‐G 0.1 and PVC/F‐G 0.1 composite papers possess high microhardness values up to 39.67 and 32.76 Hv, respectively. Electrical conductivity of 8.97 × 10⁻³ and 5.89 × 10⁻³ S m⁻¹ was observed for 0.08 wt% PPD/F‐G and F‐G loaded samples. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:4176–4187, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers