CHEMISTRY OF MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE: MEMORY, SELF-HEALING BEHAVIOR, AND HIGH IMPACT RESISTANCE IN NANOCOMPOSITES

摘要

The relation between chain conformation and relaxation dynamics in polymers to the development of shape memory and self healing in polymers is fundamentally significant. Preliminary data on the introduction of nanoparticles into the co-polyterphthalate of 1,3- propanediol (PDO) and 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol (CBDO) indicates a larger elongation at break and enhanced shape memory. This is unprecedented in commercial polymer composites. The incorporation of nanoscale ceramic platelets, rather than microscale additives, changes the traditional paradigm of decreased elongation with the incorporation of reinforcing additives into polymers. In the last 15 years, major advancements have been made in the development of polymer nanocomposites, polymers with memory, and polymers that exhibit self-healing properties. The scientific and technological importance of these polymers can be measured by the enormous increase in international scientific publications and patents focused on these polymer types. Texas State University (TxState) has developed a new family of polymers that exhibit all of these characteristics. In addition, these materials show unprecedented low temperature flexibility (at liquid nitrogen temperature) and impact resistance. This presentation will discuss the investigation of short term (ballistics and impact performance) and long term time dependent effects in a new high impact polymer and polymer nanocomposites. In addition, we will discuss the fundamental investigation currently being employed to identify the structure-property relationships that define the chemistry of polymer mechanical performance in the areas of memory, self-healing behavior, and high impact resistance.