Improved dispersion of attapulgite in polypropylene by grap oxide and the enhanced mechanical properties

Attapulgite (ATT) is a one-dimensional (1D) nanorod which shows great potential as an effective filler for enhancing polymers. However, natural ATT is hard to develop its nanoscale reinforce advantages because it always tend to aggregate in the matrix. In this work, hybrid filler composed of ATT nanorods attached on two-dimensional (2D) graphene oxide (GO) nanoplatelets was prepared through electrostatic assembly, and then introduced into polypropylene (PP) matrix using melt blending method. A better dispersion of ATT in PP matrix was obtained with the aid of GO nanosheets. The tensile strength, Young's modulus and storage modulus of PP composites were improved simultaneously. Taking GO as an assistant-dispersant is believed to be a novel design strategy and effective approach for developing high performance nanocomposites. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:560–568, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers