TY - JOUR
T1 - Reinforcing efficiency of nanoparticles
T2 - A simple comparison for polymer nanocomposites
AU - Liu, Hua
AU - Brinson, L. Catherine
N1 - Funding Information:
Grant support is gratefully acknowledged from the NASA University Research Engineering and Technology Institute on Bio Inspired materials (BIMat) under award No. NCC-1-02037, the NSF NIRT program under award number CMS-0404291, and the NSF-MRSEC Program at Northwestern University. The authors also thank T. Ramanathan and K. Putz for insightful discussions.
PY - 2008/5
Y1 - 2008/5
N2 - The mechanical reinforcing efficiencies of two types of nanoparticles, nanotube and nanoplatelet, are compared from a micro-mechanics perspective. Additionally, the interphase zone created by altered dynamics of host polymer molecules in the vicinity of the nanoparticles is addressed. The results indicate that nanotubes generally have superior mechanical reinforcement potential beyond that of nanoplatelets for aligned orientations, while the high in-plane isotropic modulus of nanoplatelets allows better reinforcing in random orientations. However, at the same volume fraction, under the assumption of identical degree of dispersion and extent of influence on the surrounding polymer molecules, the nanotubes generate a significantly larger amount of interphase than the nanoplatelets. The interphase effects can then overwhelm the basic nanoparticle influence and lead to higher stiffnesses for all configurations of nanotube composites. These simple yet insightful comparisons may provide guidance in the design of nanocomposites.
AB - The mechanical reinforcing efficiencies of two types of nanoparticles, nanotube and nanoplatelet, are compared from a micro-mechanics perspective. Additionally, the interphase zone created by altered dynamics of host polymer molecules in the vicinity of the nanoparticles is addressed. The results indicate that nanotubes generally have superior mechanical reinforcement potential beyond that of nanoplatelets for aligned orientations, while the high in-plane isotropic modulus of nanoplatelets allows better reinforcing in random orientations. However, at the same volume fraction, under the assumption of identical degree of dispersion and extent of influence on the surrounding polymer molecules, the nanotubes generate a significantly larger amount of interphase than the nanoplatelets. The interphase effects can then overwhelm the basic nanoparticle influence and lead to higher stiffnesses for all configurations of nanotube composites. These simple yet insightful comparisons may provide guidance in the design of nanocomposites.
KW - A. Nanostructures
KW - A. Polymer-matrix composites (PMCs)
KW - B. Mechanical properties
KW - B. Modelling
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=40649121812&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1016/j.compscitech.2007.10.033
DO - 10.1016/j.compscitech.2007.10.033
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:40649121812
SN - 0266-3538
VL - 68
SP - 1502
EP - 1512
JO - Composites Science and Technology
JF - Composites Science and Technology
IS - 6
ER -