Polymer chain dynamics in weakly intercalated polymer/nanoplatelet mixtures

Published

March 15, 2013

Author(s)

Kevin A. Masser, Hongyi Yuan, Chad R. Snyder, Alamgir Karim

Abstract

The dynamics of two chemically similar type-A polymers, poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) with small amounts of Cloisite 30B nanoplatelets were investigated via broadband dielectric relaxation spectroscopy. The terminal relaxation, or normal mode of PCL was found to be strongly influenced by the presence of the nanoplatelets, exhibiting a relaxation from PCL chains within the Cloisite platelets as well as a bulk-like relaxation. These results, as well as rheological and X-ray scattering results from the literature, help to form a clearer picture of how the structure and dynamics relate to the bulk physical properties in these systems. Cloisite was observed to have minimal impact on both the glassy state dynamics, as well as the segmental dynamics of both polymers, due to the relatively weak interactions between the polymers and the platelets.

Citation

Nature Materials

Volume

46

Issue

6

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1021/ma3022647

Keywords

Polymer Nanocomposites, Polymer Dynamics, Dielectric Spectroscopy

Citation

Masser, K. , Yuan, H. , Snyder, C. and Karim, A. (2013), Polymer chain dynamics in weakly intercalated polymer/nanoplatelet mixtures, Nature Materials, [online], https://doi.org/10.1021/ma3022647 (Accessed October 13, 2025)