TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of Oligomer Addition on Tube Dilation in Polymer Nanocomposite Melts
AU - Feng, Yi
AU - Li, Ruhao
AU - Mbonu, Christopher
AU - Akcora, Pinar
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.
PY - 2024/3
Y1 - 2024/3
N2 - This study investigates the effect of adding oligomers on the rheological properties of polymer nanocomposite melts with the goal of enhancing the processability of nanocomposites. The scaling analysis of plateau modulus (GN) is used in understanding the complex mechanical behavior of entangled poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA) melts upon oligomer addition. Increasing the oligomer amount led to a decrease in GN and an apparent degree of entanglement (Z) in the neat polymer melt. The particle dispersion states at two particle loadings with oligomer addition are examined in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The dilution exponent is found unchanged at 7 and 17 vol% particle loadings for the well-dispersed PMA-SiO2 nanocomposites compared to the neat PMA solution. These findings suggest that attractive particles with strong interfacial layers do not influence the tube dilution scaling of the polymer with the oligomer. To the contrary, composites with weak polymer-particle interfaces demonstrate phase separation of particles when oligomers are introduced and its exponent for tube dilution scaling reaches 4 at a particle loading of 17 vol%, potentially indicating that network-forming clusters influence chain entanglements in this scenario.
AB - This study investigates the effect of adding oligomers on the rheological properties of polymer nanocomposite melts with the goal of enhancing the processability of nanocomposites. The scaling analysis of plateau modulus (GN) is used in understanding the complex mechanical behavior of entangled poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA) melts upon oligomer addition. Increasing the oligomer amount led to a decrease in GN and an apparent degree of entanglement (Z) in the neat polymer melt. The particle dispersion states at two particle loadings with oligomer addition are examined in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The dilution exponent is found unchanged at 7 and 17 vol% particle loadings for the well-dispersed PMA-SiO2 nanocomposites compared to the neat PMA solution. These findings suggest that attractive particles with strong interfacial layers do not influence the tube dilution scaling of the polymer with the oligomer. To the contrary, composites with weak polymer-particle interfaces demonstrate phase separation of particles when oligomers are introduced and its exponent for tube dilution scaling reaches 4 at a particle loading of 17 vol%, potentially indicating that network-forming clusters influence chain entanglements in this scenario.
KW - plasticizer
KW - poly(methyl acrylate)
KW - polymer nanocomposites
KW - rheology
KW - scaling
KW - tube diameter
KW - tube dilation
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U2 - 10.1002/marc.202300620
DO - 10.1002/marc.202300620
M3 - Article
C2 - 38133122
AN - SCOPUS:85180922615
SN - 1022-1336
VL - 45
JO - Macromolecular Rapid Communications
JF - Macromolecular Rapid Communications
IS - 5
M1 - 2300620
ER -