ISSN:
1661-9897
Source:
Scientific.Net: Materials Science & Technology / Trans Tech Publications Archiv 1984-2008
Topics:
Physics
Notes:
The miscibility behaviour of polymer-nanoparticle / linear-polymer blends(all-polymer nanocomposites) has been investigated using an incompressible mean-fieldtheoretical model that accounts for combinatorial, temperature-dependent exchangeinteraction energy and nanoparticle-driven effects. The theory is employed to predict thephase diagram of poly(styrene)-nanoparticle (PS-np) / linear-poly(vinyl methyl ether)(PVME) nanocomposites from room temperature to 675 K. Complete miscibility ispredicted for PS-nanoparticles with radius 〈 6 nm blended with PVME (molecularweight 62 500 g/mol, nanoparticle volume fraction 20 %). The effect of PVMEmolecular weight and blend composition on the miscibility diagram is also addressed.When compared to the well-known experimental phase diagram of linear-PS / PVMEblends displaying lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behaviour, the miscibilityimproving effect of sub-10 nm PS-nanoparticles is clearly highlighted. In terms of themodel, this favourable nanoscale effect arises mainly from the reduced stretchinginduced by the sub-10 nm nanoparticles and the increased exothermic contacts whencompared to nanoparticles with sizes 〉 10 nm
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://www.tib-hannover.de/fulltexts/2011/0528/01/43/transtech_doi~10.4028%252Fwww.scientific.net%252FJNanoR.2.105.pdf
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