Use of Optical Probes and Laser Scanning Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy for High Throughput Characterization of Dispersion in Polymer Layered Silicate Nanocomposites

Published

February 19, 2017

Author(s)

Jeffrey W. Gilman, Rick D. Davis, S Bellayer, P H. Maupin, Raghavan Dharmara, Joseph Langat, S Bourbigot, X Flambard, D M. Fox, Paul C. Trulove, Hugh C. De Long

Abstract

The development of high throughput methods for studying polymer layered silicate nanocomposites (PLSN) is motivated by the fact that these materials represent a multiple parameter problem. We have developed a HT platform for the study of thermoplastic PLSNs, which uses a twin-screw extruder to rapidly prepare samples. To keep pace with the extruder s high sample preparation rate off-line HT characterization methods have been developed, which are capable of quantitative characterization of nanocomposites at multiple length-scales.This article presents an off-line characterization method, which gives a bulk, meso-scale measure of the dispersion of MMT in the polymer using a laser scanning confocal fluorescence microscope and a cationic-dye modified organo-montmorillonite clay. In addition an on-line technique performed during extrusion is also presented. This method is enabled by using the same cationic-dye modified organo-MMT combined with an optical sensor (web cam), which continuously monitors the nano-scale dispersion of organo-clay in a variety of polymers.

Citation

Journal of the American Chemical Society

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

clay, high throughput, layered silicate, nanocomposites

Citation

Gilman, J. , Davis, R. , Bellayer, S. , Maupin, P. , Dharmara, R. , Langat, J. , Bourbigot, S. , Flambard, X. , Fox, D. , Trulove, P. and De Long, H. (2017), Use of Optical Probes and Laser Scanning Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy for High Throughput Characterization of Dispersion in Polymer Layered Silicate Nanocomposites, Journal of the American Chemical Society (Accessed October 7, 2025)