Localization of carbon nanotubes at the interface in blends of polyamide and ethylene–acrylate copolymer

The present study demonstrates for the first time the possibility to jam unpurified and unfunctionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) at the interface of an immiscible blend of polyamide (PA) and ethylene–acrylate (EA) copolymer. The confinement appears to be stable. The influence of the mixing strategy and of the polyamide type used has been examined. When the MWNTs are first dispersed in PA6, most of them migrate to the interface although some of them stay in the PA phase. When the MWNTs are first dispersed in PA12, they remain well dispersed in PA. When the MWNTs are first dispersed in the EA copolymer or when the three components are simultaneously mixed, a large part of the MWNTs migrate to the interface whatever the PA used. However, some of the MWNTs remain in the EA phase and when PA12 is used, part of the MWNTs penetrate inside the PA nodules. By a combination of TGA and separation techniques, we show that the first polymer to come in contact with the nanotubes during melt mixing is (at least partially) adsorbed irreversibly, by non-covalent adsorption. The resulting modification of interfacial thermodynamics explains the observed confinement.