Effect of X-ray exposure on nano-mechanical properties of multi-walled carbon nanotube incorporated silicone polymer nanocomposites: An AFM-based study

Nano-mechanical properties of silicone polymer-based nanocomposites loaded with multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) as nanofillers are probed here using the atomic force microscopy (AFM) technique. Further, the effects of MWCNT concentration and X-ray exposure on the nano-mechanical and topographic properties of the polymer nanocomposites are systematically studied. The root mean square surface roughness is found to increase by ∼123% when the neat polymer matrix is loaded with 2.5 wt.% of MWCNT, whereas, for a fixed MWCNT concentration, the surface roughness is found to increase by ∼171% after X-ray irradiation. This is attributed to the X-ray induced polymer degradation, polymer pull-out and poor filler-matrix interaction leading to the aggregation of MWCNT. Adhesion force and adhesion energy are estimated from the AFM-based force-displacement curves. Both quantities are found to increase with MWCNT concentration. After an exposure to diagnostic X-rays (30–70 keV), the adhesion force is found to increase by ∼4 times, which is attributed to the increased tip-surface contact area due to the higher surface roughness of the X-ray exposed samples. Further, the variation of adhesion energy with filler concentration is found to be in agreement with the theoretical values obtained from the Johnson, Kendall and Roberts (JKR) model. The elastic modulus is found to increase with the filler concentration due to an increase in adhesion force. The obtained results are beneficial for the optimal design of nanofiller loaded polymer nanocomposites for various applications, including the fabrication of lead-free radio-opaque nanocomposites.