Exploring the Frontiers of Polymer Science and Technology: From Fundamentals to Applications (English)
발표 구분
초청강연
제목
Unveiling the Surprising Role of Low Molecular Weight Polymers in Enhancing Physical Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites
발표자
()
초록
내용
To take advantage of the superior physical properties of polymer nanocomposite (PNC), suitable designs are required based on a comprehensive understanding of the interfacial layer created by the polymer adsorption. Generally, the properties of PNC are proportional to the molecular weight (MW). However, significant mechanical enhancement occurs when low MW polymers are added into high MW polymers. We found that the unexpected enhancement is attributed to the stretched interfacial layer as a result of competitive polymer adsorption. Furthermore, the properties of PNC can be simply described by the interparticle distance and polymer length considering the degree of layer stretching. We believe that these results not only explain the mechanism of mechanical enhancement in PNCs, but also give insight into designing interfaces where polymer exists.