Influence of ethylene diamine functionalized waste plastic derived reduced graphene oxide as filler on the mechanical and thermal properties of low‐density polyethylene

Abstract Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was prepared from waste plastic using the two steps pyrolysis method and subsequently functionalized with ethylene diamine (EDA) to develop amino‐functionalized rGO (EDA‐rGO). To make the thermal and mechanical properties more proficient, EDA‐rGO was further incorporated as a nanofiller into a low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) matrix using the melt mixing method followed by hot‐pressing. A variety of analytical methods, such as FT‐IR, XRD, XPS, DSC, TGA, DMA, Raman spectroscopy, and HRTEM, were used to characterize the elements and morphology of rGO and EDA‐rGO. The results showed that the addition of 5 wt% EDA‐rGO to LDPE polymers significantly improved the mechanical and thermal properties, such as storage modulus by 62%, loss modulus by 67%, young's modulus by 123%, tensile strength by 79.83%, respectively. The thermal decomposition temperatures of 5%, 10% and 50% were increased by 14.01, 9.34, and 4.8°C, respectively. This study provides a feasible and ecologically sustainable way of repurposing plastic waste concurrently enhancing the properties of polymer composites. Highlights Synthesis & functionalization of rGO from waste plastic using EDA. EDA‐rGO used as a nanofiller to fabricate LDPE polymer nanocomposites. EDA‐rGO enhanced the thermal stability of LDPE nanocomposites. The tensile strength & modulus of the LDPE composites are greatly improved. The storage, loss modulus, T m and T c enhanced by 62%, 67%, 4.4 ° C & 2.6 ° C.