Molecular View on Mechanical Reinforcement in Polymer Nanocomposites

Sun, Ruikun; Melton, Matthew; Safaie, Niloofar; Ferrier, Jr., Robert C.; Cheng, Shiwang; Liu, Yun; Zuo, Xiaobing; Wang, Yangyang

doi:10.1103/physrevlett.126.117801

Molecular View on Mechanical Reinforcement in Polymer Nanocomposites

Journal Article · Tue Mar 16 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.126.117801· OSTI ID:1814360

^[1]; Melton, Matthew ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; Liu, Yun ^[2]; Zuo, Xiaobing ^[3]; ^[4]

Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States)
Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States); National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD (United States)
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Lemont, IL (United States)
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

The microscopic origin of mechanical enhancement in polymer nanocomposite (PNC) melts is investigated through the combination of rheology and small-angle neutron scattering. It is shown that in the absence of an extensive particle network, the molecular deformation of polymer chains dominates the stress response on intermediate time scales. Quantitative analyses of small-angle neutron scattering spectra, however, reveal no enhanced structural anisotropy in the PNCs, compared with the pristine polymers under the same deformation conditions. These results can demonstrate that the mechanical reinforcement of PNCs is not due to molecular overstraining, but instead a redistribution of strain field in the polymer matrix, akin to the classical picture of hydrodynamic effect of nanoparticles.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States); Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States); National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725; AC02-06CH11357

OSTI ID:: 1814360

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1819666

Journal Information:: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 126; ISSN 0031-9007

Publisher:: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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