Hybrid combinations of graphene nanoplatelet, carbon nanotube, and carbon black for tailored mechanical and triboelectric properties in polypropylene fibers
Yue Cheng, Jian Wang, Mingwang Shao, Yucan Liang, Hang Li
Abstract
Hybrid polymer composites with carbon fillers are of great interest for applications requiring specific mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. However, studies on hybrid polymer composite fiber (HPCF) with multiple carbon fillers remain limited. This work develops HPCFs by aligning graphene nanoplatelet (GNP), carbon nanotube (CNT), and carbon black (CB) in polypropylene (PP) through melt mixing and spinning. The effects of employing a single filler of GNP, binary combination (GNP/CNT and GNP/CB), and ternary combination (GNP/CNT/CB) on the thermal, morphological, mechanical, and triboelectric properties of the PP HPCF were systematically explored. The results indicated that PP/GNP HPCF had the highest tensile strength, PP/GNP/CNT HPCF achieved the highest tensile modulus, and PP/GNP/CNT/CB HPCF showed superior elongation at break. A unidirectional triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) based on PP/GNP/CNT/CB HPCF with a total carbon filler content of 5 wt% exhibited the most favorable triboelectric performance. Adding GNP/CNT/CB resulted in enhancements of 500% in current density and 1400% in power density in separation-contact mode and 189% and 1632% in lateral sliding mode, respectively, compared to neat PP fibers. The PP/GNP/CNT/CB HPCF properties were tailored by manipulating the fraction ratios of GNP, CNT, and CB, providing valuable insights for specific PP HPCF applications.