Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)/functionalized-MWNT hybrid films were prepared by the solution intercalation method, using 4-cumylphenol-MWNT (CP-MWNT) as the functionalized-MWNT. The variation of the thermomechanical properties, morphology, gas permeability, and optical transparency of the hybrid films with CP-MWNT content in the range of 0∼2.00 wt% were examined. The newly synthesized UHMWPE/functionalized-MWNT hybrid films were characterized by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and a universal tensile machine (UTM). It was found that the addition of only a small amount of functionalized-MWNT was sufficient to improve the thermomechanical properties of the UHMWPE hybrid films, with maximum enhancement being observed in the CP-MWNT loading in the range 0.50 to 1.00 wt%. The maximum enhancement in the oxygen gas barrier was also found at the functionalized MWNT content of 1.00 wt%. In this work, the thermomechanical properties and gas permeability of the hybrid films were found to be better than those of pure UHMWPE.

기능화 탄소나노튜브인 4-cumylphenol-MWNT(CP-MWNT)를 이용하여 초고분자량 폴리에틸렌(ultra high molecular weight polyethylene(UHMWPE))/CP-MWNT 복합체 필름을 용액 삽입법을 이용하여 제조하였다. 0에서 2.00 wt%까지의 서로 다른 CP-MWNT의 농도에 따라 만들어진 복합체 필름의 열적, 기계적, 기체 투과도 및 광학 투명성 등의 변화를 시차주사열량계, 열중량분석기, 전계 방사형 주사전자현미경과 인장시험기를 사용하여 측정하였다. 복합체 필름은 기능화된 탄소나노튜브를 소량 첨가하여도 열역학적 특성이 향상되는 것을 확인할 수 있으며 0.50에서 1.00 wt%의 농도에서 최대값을 가진다. CP-MWNT의 농도가 1.00 wt%일 때 필름의 산소 기체 차단성은 최대 향상을 나타내었다. 전체적으로는 CP-MWNT가 첨가된 복합체 필름의 열적-기계적 성질 및 기체투과도 등은 순수한 UHMWPE보다 더 향상되었다.

Keywords: UHMWPE; functionalized-MWNT; hybrid; films.