TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of multistage sonication on dispersive mixing of polymer nanocomposites characterized via shear-induced crystallization behavior
AU - Iyer Ganapathi, Jayadurga
AU - Kalyon, Dilhan M.
AU - Fisher, Frank T.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
PY - 2017/4/10
Y1 - 2017/4/10
N2 - While nanoparticle dispersion is necessary to achieve optimal properties, it has long been recognized as a major technological hurdle for polymer nanocomposites. Here, a systematic study incorporated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in polycaprolactone (PCL) using a multi-stage sonication process, with Stage 1 sonication of CNT/solvent followed by Stage 2 sonication of the pre-processed CNT/solvent with the dissolved polymer. Conventional dispersion characterization techniques were complemented with analysis of the shear-induced crystallization (SIC) behavior of the semicrystalline nanocomposite, which was found to be particularly sensitive to the state of nanoparticle dispersion. While Stage 1 sonication was found to have a pronounced effect on the nanoparticle dispersion as characterized via SIC and thermal characterization, the impact of Stage 2 sonication on the level of nanoparticle dispersion was much smaller. Such results demonstrate the utility of characterization of the shear-induced crystallization behavior as a means to analyze nanoparticle dispersion in semicrystalline polymer nanocomposites.
AB - While nanoparticle dispersion is necessary to achieve optimal properties, it has long been recognized as a major technological hurdle for polymer nanocomposites. Here, a systematic study incorporated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in polycaprolactone (PCL) using a multi-stage sonication process, with Stage 1 sonication of CNT/solvent followed by Stage 2 sonication of the pre-processed CNT/solvent with the dissolved polymer. Conventional dispersion characterization techniques were complemented with analysis of the shear-induced crystallization (SIC) behavior of the semicrystalline nanocomposite, which was found to be particularly sensitive to the state of nanoparticle dispersion. While Stage 1 sonication was found to have a pronounced effect on the nanoparticle dispersion as characterized via SIC and thermal characterization, the impact of Stage 2 sonication on the level of nanoparticle dispersion was much smaller. Such results demonstrate the utility of characterization of the shear-induced crystallization behavior as a means to analyze nanoparticle dispersion in semicrystalline polymer nanocomposites.
KW - crystallization
KW - rheology
KW - synthesis and processing techniques
KW - thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)
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U2 - 10.1002/app.44681
DO - 10.1002/app.44681
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85006482261
SN - 0021-8995
VL - 134
JO - Journal of Applied Polymer Science
JF - Journal of Applied Polymer Science
IS - 14
M1 - 44681
ER -