Towards Antistatic Polypropylene Composites: Enhancing Carbon Nanotubes Dispersibility Through Dynamic Covalent Bonding

ABSTRACT The aggregation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as fillers in polymer matrices has long been a challenging issue in the preparation of composite materials. In this study, dynamic covalent bonds were introduced between CNTs and polypropylene (PP) to develop PP/CNTs composites featuring dynamic transesterification networks. The formation of these dynamic covalent bonds was confirmed through small molecule model experiments and macromolecular structure characterization. The dispersion quality and covalent bond formation of CNTs within the PP matrix were evaluated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Rheological tests were conducted to validate the dynamics of the transesterification reaction and the processing characteristics of the composites. Electrostatic dissipation properties of PP/CNTs composites with dynamic covalent bonds were compared against those of conventional blended samples via electrical conductivity measurements. Results indicate that dynamic covalent bonding enhances the antistatic performance and light transmittance of the composites by mitigating CNTs aggregation.