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Improving impact toughness of polylactide/poly(ether)urethane blends via designing the phase morphology assisted by hydrophilic silica nanoparticles.
- Source :
-
Polymer . Mar2014, Vol. 55 Issue 6, p1593-1600. 8p. - Publication Year :
- 2014
-
Abstract
- Abstract: Obtaining network-like morphology (rubber particles are unevenly distributed in the matrix, forming a discontinuous rubber network structure) has been considered to be an effective strategy to optimize the toughness of rubber-toughened polymers. However, it is very difficult to achieve using conventional processing method. In this work, taking elastomer-toughened polylactide (PLA) as an example, we attempt to use hydrophilic silica (SiO2) nanoparticles with self-networking capability to control the phase morphology and the mechanical properties of PLA/poly(ether)urethane (PU) (85/15) blend. It is interesting to find that the selective localization of SiO2 nanoparticles in the PU phase and at the phase interface induces the morphological change from a common sea-island structure to a unique network-like structure constructed by discrete PU particles with irregular shapes, thus giving rise to a remarkable improvement in the impact toughness of the blend with strength and modulus unaffected. The formation of the network-like structure is attributed to the synergistic effect between the self-networking of the interface-localized SiO2 and the enhanced elasticity of the SiO2-localized PU phase. This inspiring result proves the introduction of nanoparticles with self-networking capability into polymers blends to be a universal platform to design their performance via tuning the phase structure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00323861
- Volume :
- 55
- Issue :
- 6
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Polymer
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 94897206
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2014.01.057