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Rheological, Thermal and Transport Properties of Polymeric Nanocomposites

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A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanocomposite Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 8952

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Prof. Dr. Carola Esposito Corcione

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Department of Innovation Engineering, University of Salento, Via per Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Interests: polymers; nanocomposite; recycle
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Dear Colleagues,

In materials research, the development of polymer nanocomposites (PN) is rapidly emerging as a multidisciplinary research field with results that could broaden the applications of polymers in many different industries. PN are polymer matrices (thermoplastics, thermosets, or elastomers) that have been reinforced with small quantities of nanosized particles, preferably characterized by high aspect ratios, such as layered silicates and carbon nanotubes. Thermal analysis (TA), rheology, and transport property measurements are useful tools to investigate a wide variety of properties of polymers that can be also applied to PN in order to gain further insights into their structure. This Special Issue will focus attention on the versatile applications of TA methods, rheology, and transport properties in the emerging field of polymer nanomaterial research. It wishes to present examples of some of the applications of these different techniques in the characterization of nanocomposite materials, focusing on the relationship between processing, structure, and properties.

Prof. Dr. Carola Esposito Corcione
Guest Editor

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Keywords

rheology
thermal properties
transport properties
polymeric nanocomposites

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 38193 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Bromide and Chloride Ionic Liquids Applied to Enhance the Vulcanization and Performance of Natural Rubber Biocomposites Filled with Nanosized Silica

by Magdalena Maciejewska and Anna Sowińska-Baranowska

Nanomaterials 2022, 12(7), 1209; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12071209 - 04 Apr 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2089

Abstract

In this study, the possibility of using ionic liquids (ILs) as auxiliary substances improving the vulcanization and physicochemical properties of natural rubber (NR) biocomposites filled with nanosized silica was investigated. Hence, the influence of ILs with bromide and chloride anions and various cations, i.e., alkylimidazolium, alkylpyrrolidinium and alkylpiperidinium cation, on the curing characteristics and crosslink density of NR compounds was determined. Furthermore, the effect of nanosized silica and ILs on the functional properties of the obtained vulcanizates, including mechanical properties under static and dynamic conditions, hardness, thermal stability and resistance to thermo-oxidative aging, were explored. Applying nanosized silica improved the processing safety of NR compounds but significantly increased the optimal vulcanization time compared to the unfilled rubber. ILs significantly improved the cure characteristics of NR compounds by increasing the rate of vulcanization and the crosslink density of NR biocomposites. Consequently, the tensile strength and hardness of the vulcanizates significantly increased compared to that without ILs. Moreover, the use of nanosized silica and ILs had a favorable impact on the thermal stability of the vulcanizates and their resistance to prolonged thermo-oxidation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rheological, Thermal and Transport Properties of Polymeric Nanocomposites)

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19 pages, 1491 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Anomalous Terminal Shear Viscosity Behavior of Polycarbonate Nanocomposites Containing Grafted Nanosilica Particles

by Vaidyanath Ramakrishnan, Johannes G. P. Goossens, Theodorus L. Hoeks and Gerrit W. M. Peters

Nanomaterials 2021, 11(7), 1839; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano11071839 - 15 Jul 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2949

Abstract

Viscosity controls an important issue in polymer processing. This paper reports on the terminal viscosity behavior of a polymer melt containing grafted nanosilica particles. The melt viscosity behavior of the nanocomposites was found to depend on the interaction between the polymer matrix and the nanoparticle surface. In the case of polycarbonate (PC) nanocomposites, the viscosity decreases by approximately 25% at concentrations below 0.7 vol% of nanosilica, followed by an increase at higher concentrations. Chemical analysis shows that the decrease in viscosity can be attributed to in situ grafting of PC on the nanosilica surface, leading to a lower entanglement density around the nanoparticle. The thickness of the graft layer was found to be of the order of the tube diameter, with the disentangled zone being approximately equal to the radius of gyration (

R_{g}

) polymer chain. Furthermore, it is shown that the grafting has an effect on the motion of the PC chains at all timescales. Finally, the viscosity behavior in the PC nanocomposites was found to be independent of the molar mass of PC. The PC data are compared with polystyrene nanocomposites, for which the interaction between the polymer and nanoparticles is absent. The results outlined in this paper can be utilized for applications with low shear processing conditions, e.g., rotomolding, 3D printing, and multilayer co-extrusion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rheological, Thermal and Transport Properties of Polymeric Nanocomposites)

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20 pages, 5831 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Peculiar Morphologies Obtained for 80/20 PLA/PA11 Blend with Small Amounts of Fumed Silica

by Damien Rasselet, Monica Francesca Pucci, Anne-Sophie Caro-Bretelle, José-Marie Lopez-Cuesta and Aurélie Taguet

Nanomaterials 2021, 11(7), 1721; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano11071721 - 29 Jun 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2667

Abstract

This work highlights the possibility of obtaining peculiar morphologies by adding fumed silica into 80/20 polylactic acid/polyamide11 (PLA/PA11) blends. Two kinds of fumed silica (A200 and trimethoxyoctylsilane modified R805 fumed silica) were dispersed (by twin-screw extrusion, TSE) at a weight amount of 5% in neat PLA, neat PA11 and a 80/20 PLA/PA11 blend. Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) was used to verify this 5 wt % amount. Oscillatory shear rheology tests were conducted on all the formulations: (1) on neat polymer nanocomposites (PLASi5, PLASiR5, PA11Si5, PA11SiR5); and (2) on polymer blend nanocomposites (PLA80Si5 and PLA80SiR5). Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) characterizations and laser granulometry were conducted. Microscopic analysis performed on polymer blend nanocomposites evidenced a localization of A200 silica in the PA11 dispersed phase and R805 silica at the PLA/PA11 interface. Frequency sweep tests on neat polymer nanocomposites revealed a pronounced gel-like behavior for PLASi5 and PA11SiR5, evidencing a high dispersion of A200 in PLA and R805 in PA11. A yield behavior was also evidenced for both PLA80Si5 and PLA80SiR5 blends. For the blend nanocomposites, PA11 dispersed phases were elongated in the presence of A200 silica and a quasi-co-continuous morphology was observed for PLA80Si5, whereas PLA80SiR5 exhibits bridges of silica nanoparticles between the PA11 dispersed phases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rheological, Thermal and Transport Properties of Polymeric Nanocomposites)

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13 pages, 3782 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Transport Properties of Natural and Artificial Smart Fabrics Impregnated by Graphite Nanomaterial Stacks

by Carola Esposito Corcione, Francesca Ferrari, Raffaella Striani and Antonio Greco

Nanomaterials 2021, 11(4), 1018; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano11041018 - 16 Apr 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1895

Abstract

In this work, we studied the transport properties (thermal and electrical conductivity) of smart fabric materials treated with graphite nanomaterial stacks–acetone suspensions. An innovative and easy method to produce graphite nanomaterial stacks–acetone-based formulations, starting from a low-cost expandable graphite, is proposed. An original, economical, fast, and easy method to increase the thermal and electrical conductivity of textile materials was also employed for the first time. The proposed method allows the impregnation of smart fabric materials, avoiding pre-coating of the fibers, thus reducing costs and processing time, while obtaining a great increase in the transport properties. Two kinds of textiles, cotton and Lycra^®, were selected as they represent the most used natural and artificial fabrics, respectively. The impact of the dimensions of the produced graphite nanomaterial stacks–acetone-based suspensions on both the uniformity of the treatment and the transport properties of the selected textile materials was accurately evaluated using several experimental techniques. An empirical relationship between the two transport properties was also successfully identified. Finally, several theoretical models were applied to predict the transport properties of the developed smart fabric materials, evidencing a good agreement with the experimental data. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rheological, Thermal and Transport Properties of Polymeric Nanocomposites)

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