Browsing by Author "Jack, KS"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Impact of controlled particle size nanofillers on the mechanical properties of segmented polyurethane nanocomposites
    (Inderscience, 2007-08-06) Finnigan, B; Casey, P; Cookson, DJ; Halley, PJ; Jack, KS; Truss, RW; Martin, DJ
    The impact of average layered silicate particle size on the mechanical properties of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanocomposites has been investigated. At fixed addition levels (3 wt% organosilicate), an increase in average particle size resulted in an increase in stiffness. Negligible stiffening was observed for the smallest particles (30 nm) due to reduced long-range intercalation and molecular confinement, as well as ineffective stress transfer from matrix to filler. At low strain (<= 100%), an increase in filler particle size was associated with an increase in the rate of stress relaxation, tensile hysteresis, and permanent set. At high strain (1200%), two coexisting relaxation processes were observed. The rate of the slower (long-term) relaxation process, which is believed to primarily involve the hard segment rich structures, decreased on addition of particles with an average diameter of 200 nm or less. At high strain the tensile hysteresis was less sensitive to particle size, however the addition of particles with an average size of 200 nm or more caused a significant increase in permanent set. This was attributed to slippage of temporary bonds at the polymer-filler interface, and to the formation of voids at the sites of unaligned tactoids. Relative to the host TPU, the addition of particles with an average size of 30 nm caused a reduction in permanent set. This is a significant result because the addition of fillers to elastomers has long been associated with an increase in hysteresis and permanent set. At high strain, well dispersed and aligned layered silicates with relatively small interparticle distances and favourable surface interactions are capable of imparting a resistance to molecular slippage throughout the TPU matrix. © 2007, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Organization of mixed dimethyldioctadecylammonium and choline modifiers on the surface of synthetic hectorite
    (Academic Press Inc Elsevier Science, 2013-11-01) Andriani, Y; Jack, KS; Gilbert, EP; Edwards, GA; Schiller, TL; Strounina, E; Osman, AF; Martin, DJ
    Understanding the nature of mixed surfactant self-assembly on the surface of organoclays is an important step toward optimizing their performance in polymer nanocomposites and for other potential applications, where selective surface interactions are crucial. In segmented thermoplastic polyurethane nanocomposite systems, dual-modified organoclays have shown significantly better performance compared to their single-modified counterparts. Until now, we had not fully characterized the physical chemistry of these dual-modified layered silicates, but had hypothesized that the enhanced composite performance arises due to some degree of nanoscale phase separation on the nanofiller surface, which enables enhanced compatibilization and more specific and inclusive interactions with the nanoscale hard and soft domains in these thermoplastic elastomers. This work examines the organization of quaternary alkyl ammonium compounds on the surface of Lucentite SWN using X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transfer infrared (ATR FT-IR), C-13 cross-polarization (CP)/magic angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). When used in combination with choline, dimethyldioctadecylammonium (DMDO) was observed to self-assemble into discontinuous hydrophobic domains. The inner part of these hydrophobic domains was essentially unaffected by the choline (CC); however, surfactant intermixing was observed either at the periphery or throughout the choline-rich phase surrounding those domains. © 2013, Elsevier Ltd.