Nanohybrid Polymeric Nucleating Agents: In Situ Decorated Carbon Nanotubes and Serial Nucleation Behaviors in a Melt-Miscible Crystalline/Crystalline Blend.

Polymer carbon nanotube (PCN) nanocomposites based on a melt-miscible poly(oxymethylene)/poly( l-lactic acid) (POM/PLLA) blend and a trace of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been prepared by simple melt-mixing. The crystallization behaviors of the ternary poly­mer-CNT nanocomposites ( t-PCNs) have been investigated. It is found that MWCNTs first nucleate POM selectively to yield novel 'mace-like' hybrid structure crystals. The 'mace-like' hybrid POM crystals subsequently serve as highly efficient polymeric nucleating agents (PNAs) for the crystallization of PLLA, leading to the remarkable enhancement of crystallization rate ( vc) and crystallinity ( Xc) of PLLA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]