Effect of zone annealing on anisotropic nanoparticle reordering in polymer nanocomposites

ORAL

Abstract

Improving mechanical properties of polymeric systems is a primary research focus within the soft matter community. Isothermal crystallization studies have been performed on systems composed of polymer-grafted nanoparticles dispersed within a polymeric matrix, where the crystallized samples exhibit an increase in the tensile modulus by almost an order of magnitude as compared with the well-dispersed samples. Recently, a technique called zone annealing has been developed in which samples are rotated or translated across a fixed temperature gradient. This technique reduces processing times from days to hours. Initial X-ray scattering experiments have demonstrated that the nanoparticles seem to order in an anisotropic fashion along the crystallizing polymer lamellae after zone annealing.

*United States Department of Energy, Office of Science
Gates Millennium Scholars Program
Columbia University Soft Matter Grant

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Presenters

  • Alejandro Krauskopf

    • Columbia University

Authors

  • Alejandro Krauskopf

    • Columbia University

  • Andrew Jimenez

    • Chemical Engineering, Columbia University
    • Columbia University

  • Sanat Kumar

    • Chemical Engineering, Columbia University
    • Columbia University

  • Elizabeth Lewis

    • The University of Akron
    • Polymer Engineering, The University of Akron

  • Bryan Vogt

    • Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron
    • The University of Akron
    • Department of Polymer Enigineering, University of Akron
    • Polymer Engineering, The University of Akron
    • Polymer Engineering, University of Akron

  • Julia Pribyl

    • Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina
    • University of South Carolina

  • Brian C Benicewicz

    • Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina
    • University of South Carolina
    • Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina