Dramatic Enhancements in Toughness of Polyvinylidene Fluoride Nanocomposites via Nanoclay-Directed Crystal Structure and Morphology

摘要

Addition of nanoclays or other nanoparticles into various polymers to produce nanocomposites has been extensively utilized in an attempt to enhance the mechanical, physical, and thermal properties of polymers. While some interesting properties have been demonstrated, the resulting nanocomposites have yet to realize their full potential. Nanoparticles in general, and nanoclays in particular, with their nanometer size, high surface area, and the associated predominance of interfaces in the nanocomposites, can function as structure and morphology directors, for example stabilizing a metastable or conventionally inaccessible polymer phase, or introduce new energy dissipation mechanisms. Thus, what distinguishes nanoparticles from conventional micrometer-size rigid reinforcements is that their role might not be limited to only adding stiffness to the polymer, but also to directing morphology, as well as introducing new energy-dissipation mechanisms leading to enhanced toughness in the nanocomposites. Herein we demonstrate this potential by reporting a remarkable (order of magnitude) increase in toughness with a concurrent increase in stiffness in a poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) nanocomposite.