Development of poly (ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) nanocomposites and foams reinforced with reduced graphene oxide

Abstract

Graphene and reduced graphene oxide are promising materials that are increasingly used in the field of polymer materials. In this study, reduced graphene oxide was prepared by chemical exfoliation of graphite, and subsequently, used in different amounts of 0.05, 0.2 and 2.0 wt.% in poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) - EVA nanocomposites and foams. The approach used to prepare the reduced graphene oxide showed good efficiency with nanometer-scale particles and an average number of eight layers. Reduced graphene oxide in water suspension was introduced into the EVA by thermofusion using a closed mixer. Subsequently, sheets and foams were prepared by thermocompression molding using chemical expansion and crosslinking agents. The leading results suggest that the presence of reduced graphene oxide could change the cell morphology of the foam by increasing the cell density and decreasing its size. The sample containing 2 phr of reduced graphene oxide exhibited lower density and higher resistance to compression compared to pure EVA.

Keywords:
EVA; foams; reduced graphene oxide; nanocomposites; thermofusion