Oriented ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene/gold nanocomposites: Electrical conductivity and chain entanglement dynamics

Entanglement dynamics of uniaxially-oriented, disentangled ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene nanocomposites modified with gold nanoparticles are investigated, using dielectric spectroscopy, during the transition to melt state. The dc conduction is approximately calculated via the logarithmic derivative of dielectric permittivity and is observed to decrease with the formation of entanglements. As the draw ratio increases, the progressive formation of entanglements resulted in a stronger dc conductivity decrease due to the loss of orientation in the pre-melt crystalline and partially oriented amorphous chain segments. Additionally, a sharp peak is obtained in the absence of dc conductivity, attributed to the dipolar contribution of the Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars (MWS) interfacial polarization between the gold nanoparticles and the polymer chains. The relaxation time of the MWS interfacial polarization increases with the progressive formation of entanglements, as observed in a previous study. The results presented shed light on the process of entanglement formation in oriented ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene nanocomposites.