Synergistic effects of zirconia-coated carbon nanotube on crystalline structure of polyvinylidene fluoride nanocomposites: electrical properties and flame-retardant behavior.

Pristine multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and zirconia-coated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (ZrO(2)/MWNTs) by isothermal hydrolysis and the traditional chemical precipitation method have been dispersed into polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) copolymer by solution mixing in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF). The effect of ZrO(2)-coated MWNTs on morphological properties, electrical properties, and flame-retardant behavior has been studied in comparison with virgin PVDF and PVDF/MWNTs nanocomposites. Due to the improved dispersion of the coated nanotubes, the incorporation of 3 wt % of ZrO(2)-coated MWNTs leads to an increase of the thermal stability and dielectric properties and a decrease of the peak heat-release rate.