Improving the Dielectric, Thermal, and Electrical Properties of Poly (Methyl Methacrylate)/Hydroxyapatite Blends by Incorporating Graphene Nanoplatelets

In this article, the casting method was used to prepare poly(methyl methacrylate)/hydroxyapatite (PMMA/HA) nanocomposite films incorporated with different contents (0.5, 1, and 1.5 wt%) of graphene nanoplatelets (Gnp). The chemical properties and surface morphology of the PMMA/HA blend and PMMA/HA/Gnp nanocomposite were characterized using FTIR, and SEM analysis. Besides, the thermal conductivity, dielectric and electrical properties at (1-10(7) Hz) of the PMMA/HA blend and PMMA/HA/Gnp composites were investigated. The structural analysis showed that the synthesized composites had a low agglomerated state, with multiple wrinkles of graphene flakes in the PMMA/HA blend. The thermal conductivity was improved by more than 35-fold its value for pure PMMA. The AC and DC electrical conductivities of PMMA/HA/Gnp composites were enhanced with increasing the amount of Gnp and the estimated exponent (s) being between 1.25 and 1.3. The values of the real part (e ') and imaginary part (e '') of the dielectric constant as well as electrical impedance depend on the Gnp ratio. The value of e ' was reduced at the lower frequency (< 10(5) Hz) and became constant at the higher frequency which attributed to the relaxation time. The values of e '' are small at low frequencies and increase with increased frequency due to the electronic polarization effects as well as to the dipoles not beginning to follow the field variation at higher frequencies. The increase in the dielectric loss, tan(d), with an increase in Gnp content, to 0.5 wt%, due to the interfacial polarization mechanism occurred in the composite's films corresponding to frequencies. [GRAPHICS] .