Viscoelastic Properties and Reinforcement ...

We present viscoelastic properties and reinforcement performance of a polymer nanocomposite containing MoS2 nanotubes. The MoS2 nanotubes are mechanically strong and flexible, behaving as super shock absorbers and exceptional lubricants with very low friction coefficient and excellent wear resistance. Using Dynamic Mechanical Analysis, we have determined viscoelastic properties (the storage modulus E' , the loss modulus E'', the phase lag delta and the length l ) of the MoS2–polymer nanocomposite coatings with different nanotubes concentrations. The glass transition temperature of the nanocomposites has shifted by deltaTg = 10 oC towards higher temperatures. The tan delta peak temperature Tdelta and the temperatures Tlmax and Tlmin of the maximum elongation/contraction have shifted towards higher temperatures by the same amount. The main benefit of the MoS2 nanotubes addition is a significant increase of the storage modulus E' within the temperature range suitable for mechanical loading, being roughly a factor of 2 larger than E' of the base coating without the MoS2 nanotubes.