Entangled Polymer Dynamics in Attractive Nanocomposite Melts

Published

June 23, 2020

Author(s)

Erkan Senses, Saeid Darvishi, Madhu Sudan Tyagi, Antonio Faraone

Abstract

We investigate single chain dynamics of an entangled linear poly (ethylene oxide) melt in presence of well-dispersed attractive nanoparticles using high resolution neutron spectroscopy at particle volume fractions as high as 0.53. The short time dynamics shows decrease of the Rouse rates with particle loading, yet, the change remains within a factor of two, with no evidence of segment immobilization as often hypothesized. The apparent reptation tube diameter shrinks by approximately equal} 10 % from the bulk at 0.28 particle volume fraction when face-to-face interparticle distance approaches the single chain size. The tube diameter is remarkably concentration independent at higher loadings where all chains are essentially bound to particle surfaces. These direct experimental observations on the microscopic chain dynamics in attractive nanocomposites are distinct from their non-attractive counterparts and account for some of the unusual dynamical behavior of the nanoparticles as well as rheology in the composites.

Citation

Macromolecules

Volume

53

Issue

12

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

polymer nanocomposites, neutron scattering

Citation

Senses, E. , Darvishi, S. , Tyagi, M. and Faraone, A. (2020), Entangled Polymer Dynamics in Attractive Nanocomposite Melts, Macromolecules, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=930632 (Accessed April 23, 2024)