Enhancement in Mechanical Properties of Polystyrene Filled with Carbon Nano-Particulates (CNP<sub>S</sub>)

The idea of adding reinforcing materials, or fillers, to polymers has been around for many decades. The reason for the creation of polymer composite materials came about due of the need for materials with specific properties for specific applications. For example, composite materials are unique in their ability to allow brittle and ductile materials to become softer and stronger. It is expected that good tribological properties can be obtained for polymers filled with nano-scale fillers. A soft plastic can become harder and stronger by the addition of a light weight high stiffness material. In the present work, the effect of adding different percentages of carbon nano-particulates to polystyrene (PS) on the mechanical properties of nano-composites produced was investigated. Based on the experimental observations, it was found that as the percentage of the carbon nano-particulates (CNPS) increased hardness increased and consequently friction coefficient remarkably decreased.