Type
Text
Type
Dissertation
Advisor
Rafailovich, Miriam | Gersappe, Dilip | Sokolov, Jonathan | Korach, Chad.
Date
2015-08-01
Keywords
Materials Science
Department
Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
Language
en_US
Source
This work is sponsored by the Stony Brook University Graduate School in compliance with the requirements for completion of degree.
Identifier
http://hdl.handle.net/11401/76335
Publisher
The Graduate School, Stony Brook University: Stony Brook, NY.
Format
application/pdf
Abstract
Nanofiller particles are often added to polymeric matrices in order to create a new class of materials, polymeric nanocomposites. In these nanocomposites, the idea is that the large surface area offered by the nanofillers will result in vastly improved properties, such as increased mechanical strength and thermal conductivity. While much work has been done on adding nanofillers to homopolymers, there is a fundamental gap in understanding how the addition of nanofillers to a polymeric blend enhances the strength of the blend. Further, the role of nanofillers in improving the thermal conductivity of polymer matrices is poorly understood. In this dissertation, Molecular Dynamics and Lattice-Boltzmann simulations are used to determine the role of nanofillers in improving the mechanical integrity of polymer blend and the enhanced thermal conductivity of polymers. The work presented is divided into three main sections. In the first, the role of nanofillers in strengthening the interfaces of polymeric blends is examined. In the second, the results presented are compared to those by a blend containing diblock compatibilizers, while also exploring the mechanisms by which strengthening is achieved. Finally, the study of property enhancement is extended into that of flame retardancy and thermal conductivity of polymeric blends. These studies reveal that nanofillers can be used to strengthen polymeric blends and - in filler concentrations of less than five percent - work better than diblock compatibilizers under the influence of external shear. Results show that this strengthening occurs through the formation of small spanning networks of polymer chains and nanofillers within the interfacial region. Finally, the introduction of nanofillers with high heat capacities was found to enhance the total heat tolerance of the nanocomposite, leaving the polymer more flame-retardant by decreasing the time to ignition of these composites. | 197 pages
Recommended Citation
Ortiz, Joseph Nathaniel, "Computational Studies of the Effect of Nanofillers on Polymeric Matrices" (2015). Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions). 2259.
https://commons.library.stonybrook.edu/stony-brook-theses-and-dissertations-collection/2259