Orientation of Platelets in Multilayered Nanocomposite Polymer Films

Published

December 1, 2003

Author(s)

M M. Malwitz, Sheng Lin-Gibson, Erik K. Hobbie, Paul Butler, G Schmidt

Abstract

The orientation of platelets in micron thick polymer-clay nanocomposite films was investigated by means of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). The films with various clay contents (15 % to 60 % by mass fraction) were prepared by a layer-by-layer approach from polymer-clay solutions which led to the formation of high degree of orientation in both polymer and clay platelet. Shear-induced orientation of polymer-clay solutions is compared with the orientation of polymer-clay films. SANS, SAXS, and WAXD, with beam configurations in and perpendicular to the spread direction of the film, were used to determine the structure and orientation of platelets. In all films, the clay platelets orient preferentially in the plane of the film.The observed differences in semi-dilute solutions with clay surface normal parallel to the vorticity direction versus bulk films with clay surface normal parallel to the shear gradient direction at clay mass fractions of 40 % and 60 % are attributed to the collapses of clay platelet during the drying process.

Citation

Journal of Polymer Science Part B-Polymer Physics

Volume

Vo. 42

Issue

No. 24

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

clay, nanocomposite, orientation, poly(ethylene oxide), scattering

Citation

Malwitz, M. , Lin-Gibson, S. , Hobbie, E. , Butler, P. and Schmidt, G. (2003), Orientation of Platelets in Multilayered Nanocomposite Polymer Films, Journal of Polymer Science Part B-Polymer Physics, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=852203 (Accessed October 23, 2025)