TY  - EJOU
AU  - Hu, Minglei 
AU  - Zhang, Wei 
AU  - Hu, Bin 
AU  - Yang, Haicun 
AU  - Chu, Fuqiang 
AU  - Cao, Zheng 

TI  - Polystyrene-Grafted Molybdenum Disulfide Filled Polypropylene Composites for Enhanced Laser Marking Performance
T2  - Journal of Polymer Materials

PY  - 2025
VL  - 42
IS  - 4
SN  - 0976-3449

AB  - Polypropylene (PP) has low inherent susceptibility to common industrial lasers, which poses a significant challenge for laser-based marking. To improve the laser sensitivity of PP, molybdenum disulfide grafted with polystyrene (MoS<sub>2</sub>-g-PS) was synthesized via <i>in-situ</i> free radical polymerization and used as a laser-sensitive filler for PP composites prepared by melt blending. The composites were then marked with a 1064 nm semiconductor laser, producing clear and legible patterns. The marked surfaces were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), colorimetry, Raman spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results demonstrate that the PP/MoS<sub>2</sub>-g-PS composites exhibit significantly improved laser markability compared to both pure PP and PP/MoS<sub>2</sub> composites, yielding superior marking quality. When the MoS<sub>2</sub>-g-PS content was 0.02 wt% and the laser current intensity was 11 A, a clearly recognizable QR code pattern was obtained with high resolution and legibility. The mechanism of laser-induced marking on the PP/MoS<sub>2</sub>-g-PS composites involves efficient absorption of near-infrared (NIR) laser energy and photothermal conversion by the MoS<sub>2</sub> core, while the surrounding PS layer carbonizes upon laser irradiation. The synergistic effect between MoS<sub>2</sub> and PS effectively enhance the laser marking performance of PP.
KW  - Molybdenum disulfide; laser marking; composite material; polypropylene

DO  - 10.32604/jpm.2025.073300