Investigation of the Effects of Multi-Wall and Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes Concentration on the Properties of ABS Nanocomposites

The effects of two types of carbon nanotubes, namely multiwall (MWCNT) and single-wall (SWCNT) carbon nanotube, on the thermal and mechanical properties of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) nanocomposites, have been investigated. ABS filled-CNT nanocomposites with various filler loadings of 5–10 wt% were properly produced by a solvent-free process in blend compounding at 190 °C. Compression moulded plates and extruded filaments were obtained at 190 °C and 230 °C, respectively. Melt flow index (MFI), shore hardness, Vicat temperature, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were performed to characterize and compared the different CNT nanocomposites. ABS/SWCNT composite filaments showed higher tensile properties (i.e., stiffness and strength), than ABS/MWCNT. The electrical resistivity of ABS/SWCNT and ABS/MWCNT filaments decreased to 0.19 Ω.cm and 0.65 Ω.cm for nanocomposites with 10 wt% of nanofillers; a power law was presented to describe the electrical resistivity of composites as a function of the CNTs content. A final comparative parameter regarding melt flow, stiffness and conductivity was also evaluated for understanding the combined effects of the nanofillers. SWCNT nanocomposites exhibited better overall cumulative results than MWCNT nanocomposites.