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Unraveling the Mechanism of Nanoscale Mechanical Reinforcement in Glassy Polymer Nanocomposites

Journal Article · · Nano Letters
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [3];  [1];  [1];  [3];  [3];  [3];  [4]
  1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  2. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
  3. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
  4. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)

The mechanical reinforcement of polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) above the glass transition temperature, Tg, has been extensively researched. However, not much is known about the origin of this effect below Tg. In this paper, we unravel the mechanism of PNC reinforcement within the glassy state by directly probing nanoscale mechanical properties with atomic force microscopy and macroscopic properties with Brillouin light scattering. Our results unambiguously show that the "glassy" Young's modulus in the interfacial polymer layer of PNCs is two-times higher than in the bulk polymer, which results in significant reinforcement below Tg. We ascribe this phenomenon to a high stretching of the chains within the interfacial layer. Since the interfacial chain packing is essentially temperature independent, these findings provide a new insight into the mechanical reinforcement of PNCs also above Tg.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1271894
Journal Information:
Nano Letters, Journal Name: Nano Letters Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 16; ISSN 1530-6984
Publisher:
American Chemical SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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A Comparison of the Elastic Properties of Graphene- and Fullerene-Reinforced Polymer Composites: The Role of Filler Morphology and Size journal August 2016
Viscoelasticity and Dynamics of Intercalated Polymer/Bentonite Nanocomposites journal May 2018
Role of adsorbed chain rigidity in reinforcement of polymer nanocomposites journal October 2018
Unexpected Molecular Weight Dependence to the Physical Aging of Thin Polystyrene Films Present at Ultra‐High Molecular Weights journal February 2019
Significant improvement in static and dynamic mechanical properties of graphene oxide–carbon nanotube acrylonitrile butadiene styrene hybrid composites journal November 2017
Microscopic mechanisms of deformation transfer in high dynamic range branched nanoparticle deformation sensors journal March 2018
Chemical heterogeneity in interfacial layers of polymer nanocomposites journal January 2018
Temperature effects on the nanoindentation characterization of stiffness gradients in confined polymers journal January 2019
Nanoparticle–polymer interfacial layer properties tune fragility and dynamic heterogeneity of athermal polymer nanocomposite films journal January 2018
Isostructural softening of the filler network in SBR/silica nanocomposites journal January 2019
Natural rubber–SiO 2 nanohybrids: interface structures and dynamics journal January 2019
Focus: Structure and dynamics of the interfacial layer in polymer nanocomposites with attractive interactions journal May 2017
The interfacial zone in thin polymer films and around nanoparticles in polymer nanocomposites journal September 2019
Well-defined metal-polymer nanocomposites: The interplay of structure, thermoplasmonics, and elastic mechanical properties journal December 2018
Nanoparticle–polymer interfacial layer properties tune fragility and dynamic heterogeneity of athermal polymer nanocomposite films text January 2018
Electrostatic force microscopy for the accurate characterization of interphases in nanocomposites journal January 2018

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