Preparation and characterization of nano-TiO2 doped polystyrene materials by melt blending for inertial confinement fusion

摘要

Nano-TiO2 doped polystyrene (PS) materials (TiO2-d-PS) used for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) targets were prepared by means of melt blending. The effect of the pretreatment process, including coupling agents and ultrasonic dispersion on nano-TiO2, was studied. Tensile tests were conducted to evaluate the mechanical proper-ties of the TiO2-d-PS materials. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) was used to characterize the degree of dispersion of nano-TiO2 in the PS matrix. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic contact angle (DCA) measurements were introduced to demonstrate the surface state of untreated and pretreated nano-TiO2. The results showed that coupling agents improved the interfacial adhesion between the PS matrix and dopants; ultrasonic dispersion contributed to the increase in the tensile properties of the TiO2-d-PS materials. The dispersion stability of nano-TiO2 powder and the stability of the TiO2-d-PS materials were significantly enhanced through pretreatment, which was supported by the increase in the DCA when the nano-TiO2 was pretreated by the coupling agent. The results of SEM and EDS indicated that the nano-TiO2 dispersed homogeneously in the PS matrix. The pretreatment process is an effective way to break the aggregation of nano-TiO2, which was confirmed by TEM results. Melt blending is a feasible method to prepare PS doped high Z element ICF target materials.