Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a cost-effective way to significantly improve the mechanical properties of ordinary polymer nanocomposites. This discovery may provide stronger and more durable materials for various applications such as biomedical equipment and automobile tires.
Glassy polymer nanocomposite (PNC) is a very popular material, with hard and hard filled nanoparticles dispersed in its soft polymer matrix. When studying why PNC materials have certain advantages, researchers tried to mix short and long chains of the same polymer.
Vera Bocharova of Oak Ridge National Laboratory said: "We found that by adding a small amount of short polymer chains, the mechanical properties of ordinary polymer nanocomposites can be increased by 20%, which is very beneficial for practical applications."
In addition, through experimental data and computer simulation technology, Oak Ridge National Laboratory revealed that changes in polymer-nanoparticle interaction, polymer stretch rate, and nanoparticle interface density are the reasons for the enhanced mechanical properties of the material. Such research results can be widely used in PNC materials and may help researchers to design materials with ideal quality for practical applications in the future.