|
1
|
Shi R, Yu L, Zhang N, Yang Y, Lu ZY, Qian HJ. Molecular Origin of the Reinforcement Effect and Its Strain-Rate Dependence in Polymer Nanocomposite Glass. ACS Macro Lett 2023; 12:1052-1057. [PMID: 37449975 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.3c00235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
We investigate the molecular origin of mechanical reinforcement in a polymer nanocomposite (PNC) under a glass state via molecular dynamics simulations. The strength of the PNC system is found to be reinforced mainly via reduced plastic deformations of the nanoparticle neighborhood (NN). Such a reinforcement effect is found to decay with an increase in the strain rate. The Arrhenius-Eyring relation is used to analyze its origin. The amplitude of the reinforcement is found to be determined by the difference between the energy barrier (ΔE) for the activation of NN and the work (W) done by the applied stress to conquer that barrier. A larger strain rate is found to result in a larger W and, hence, a weaker reinforcement effect. Such a strain-rate dependence is verified in the experimental tensile tests of a poly(vinyl alcohol)/SiO2 composite system. These results not only provide a new understanding of the molecular origin of the reinforcement effect in the PNC system, but also pave the way for a better design of the PNC material properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rui Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, China, 130021
| | - Linxiuzi Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, China, 130021
| | - Niboqia Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, China, 130021
| | - Yang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, China, 130021
| | - Zhong-Yuan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, China, 130021
| | - Hu-Jun Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, China, 130021
| |
Collapse
|
|
2
|
Sun R, Yang J, Patil S, Liu Y, Zuo X, Lee A, Yang W, Wang Y, Cheng S. Relaxation dynamics of deformed polymer nanocomposites as revealed by small-angle scattering and rheology. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:8867-8884. [PMID: 36377377 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00775d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The relaxation dynamics of polystyrene (PS)/silica nanocomposites after a large step deformation are studied by a combination of small-angle scattering techniques and rheology. Small-angle X-ray scattering measurements and rheology show clear signatures of nanoparticle aggregation that enhances the mechanical properties of the polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) in the linear viscoelastic regime and during the initial phase of stress relaxation along with accelerated relaxation dynamics. Small-angle neutron scattering experiments under the zero-average-contrast condition reveal, however, smaller structural anisotropy in the PNCs than that in the neat polymer matrix, as well as accelerated anisotropy relaxation. In addition, the degrees of anisotropy reduction and relaxation dynamics acceleration increase with increasing nanoparticle loading. These results are in sharp contrast to the prevailing viewpoint of enhanced molecular deformation as the main mechanism for the mechanical enhancement in PNCs. Furthermore, the observed acceleration of stress relaxation and reduction in structural anisotropy point to two types of nonlinear effects in the relaxation dynamics of PNCs at large deformation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruikun Sun
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - Jie Yang
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, P. R. China
| | - Shalin Patil
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - Yun Liu
- Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - Xiaobing Zuo
- X-ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, USA
| | - Andre Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - Wei Yang
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, P. R. China
| | - Yangyang Wang
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA.
| | - Shiwang Cheng
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
|
3
|
Ouyang X, Luo J, Liu G. Effects of entanglement and dispersity on shear strain hardening. POLYMER 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2022.125306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
|
4
|
Song L, Patil S, Song Y, Chen L, Tian F, Chen L, Li X, Li L, Cheng S. Nanoparticle Clustering and Viscoelastic Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites with Non-Attractive Polymer–Nanoparticle Interactions. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c00689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lixian Song
- State Key Laboratory of Environment-Friendly Energy Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, Sichuan 621010, PR China
| | - Shalin Patil
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Yingze Song
- State Key Laboratory of Environment-Friendly Energy Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, Sichuan 621010, PR China
| | - Liang Chen
- National Synchrotron Radiation Lab and CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Fucheng Tian
- National Synchrotron Radiation Lab and CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Le Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Environment-Friendly Energy Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, Sichuan 621010, PR China
| | - Xueyu Li
- National Synchrotron Radiation Lab and CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Liangbin Li
- National Synchrotron Radiation Lab and CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Shiwang Cheng
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| |
Collapse
|