Abstract
Fullerenes are typical nano-carbon materials with interesting properties.To demonstrate theirability to improve the properties of thermoplastic resins, synthetic thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (PUE) was used as a matrix, and it was compounded with various fullerenes.Various physical properties of the resulting composite materials were then measured, and the relationship between physical properties and phase structure was examined.The fullerenes used were C60, mixed fullerenes (a mixture of C60, C70, and higher fullerenes; MF) and the solvent-insoluble carbon (FB) similar to fullerenes that is produced during fullerene manufacturing.In terms of tensile properties of the composites obtained using the solvent method, tensile moduli were improved through addition of fullerenes at a level of just several hundred ppm, and the onset of modulus improvement occurred at an early stage.Moreover, it was also proven that composites obtained using a compounding method whereby the fullerene powder was blended into the PUE using a tworoll-mill possessed properties that were very similar to composites obtained using the solvent method.Similarly, mechanical properties were improved by the addition of FB.The functional mechanism of the fullerenes was ascertained from differential scanning calorimetry and a dynamicmechanical analyzer.It is anticipated that such trace amounts of addition will prove a useful industrial technique since processability and formability are hardly affected.
