Synthesis of styrene polymer grafted nanocarbon particles for application as reinforcement additive for unsaturated polyester plastics

The reinforcement of filler materials into an unsaturated polyester (UPE) matrix is often limited by agglomeration, leading to poor compatibility. Recently, nano-sized filler materials have attracted attention as effective reinforcement agents in UPE. In this study, styrene polymer-grafted carbon nanoparticles were synthesized using the solution plasma method and applied as reinforcing additives for UPE. The synthesis of nanoparticles was conducted directly in the styrene monomer environment, enabling the simultaneous formation of carbon nanoparticles and the grafting of polymer onto their surfaces <i>via</i> a free-radical mechanism. SEM analysis revealed more uniform particle dispersion and a polymer-coated surface in UPE/NC-gP samples, indicating increased compatibility with the matrix. FTIR also showed that the representative peaks C-H, C[double bond, length as m-dash]C, C[double bond, length as m-dash]O, and C-O oscillated clearly in the UPE/NC-gP samples. Notably, the use of styrene-grafted carbon nanoparticle significantly improved the tensile modulus, tensile strength, flexural modulus, and flexural strength of the UPE/NC-gP(1 h) sample to 479.89 ± 26.22, 39.23 ± 2.06, 1504.06 ± 55.18, and 44.67 ± 1.82 MPa, respectively, compared with UPE/SM. Meanwhile, the UPE/NC-gP(3 h) sample had the highest flexural stress and flexural modulus of 49.01 ± 3.03 and 1535.81 ± 58.47 MPa, respectively, but the flexural strain was low. The results indicate that the grafting time influences the properties of the UPE composite. This study confirms the potential of the solution plasma method for the fabrication of nanoadditives highly compatible with the polymer matrix, opening new avenues for the production of nanocomposite materials.