PHYSICAL

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PHYSICAL MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF POLYMER
NANOCOMPOSITES

• May 10, 2002
• MatE 198 B Senior Design Project
• Georgina B. Higginbotham
• Dr. W. Richard Chung, Advisor

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OVERVIEW

• BACKGROUND
• OBJECTIVES
• METHODOLOGY
• EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

• RESULTS
• DISCUSSION
• CONCLUSION
• FUTURE WORK

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BACKGROUND

• Nanocomposite a two-phase material with one of
  the phases having one dimension on the nanometer
  scale
• Nanocomposites are a segment of the growing
  interest in nanotechnology

• Polymer nanocomposites are reinforced polymers
  with nanometer sized clay particles
• Typical clays used are montmorillonites
• Montmorillonite structures have an alumina
  octahedral sheet sandwiched between two silica
  tetrahedral sheets

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BACKGROUND (contd)

• Exfoliated structures consist of well separated
  clay layers are individually dispersed in the
  polymer
• Intercalated structures consist of limited
  dispersion of clay in the polymer

• Potential applications
• Gasoline tanks
• Construction
• Food packaging

Kornmann, Xavier, Polymer-layered silicate
nanocomposites, www..instmat.co.ulc/iom/organisat
ions/escm/nanocomposites.pdf
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OBJECTIVES

• Study existing manufacturing processes of polymer
  nanocomposites
• Simulate a process using the polymerization
  method with a thermoset matrix

• Evaluate mechanical thermal properties
• Create a platform for development of polymer
  nanocomposites at SJSU

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METHODOLOGY

• Design Parameters

Epon 862 Resin Bisphenol F/ Epichlorohydrin
Epoxy Resin Nanocor I.30E modified
montmorillonite w/ one dimension of
1.5nm Cloisite 15A modified montmorillonite
w/one dimension of 3.5nm
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METHODOLOGY (contd)

• Thermoset Epoxy Process Diagram

Nanocor I.30E or Cloisite 15A
EPON 862 Resin Mix at 60oC
Curing Agent W
Cast
Heat to121oC over 30 min Hold 2hrs
Heat to177oC over 30 min Hold 2hrs
Cool from 177oC to Ambient over 2hrs
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EXPERIMENTAL SETUP

• Mold to ASTM Standard D638

Top Plate
Center Plate
Bottom Plate
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RESULTS

• Mechanical Properties

• Data based on average of 5 samples
• Average batch size 60g with appropriate wt

• Pure polymer
• 3wt Nanocor
• 3wt Cloisite 15A
• 5wt Nanocor

• 5wt Cloisite
• 10wt Nanocor
• 10wt Cloisite 15A

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RESULTS (contd)

• Pure polymer
• 3wt Nanocor
• 3wt Cloisite 15A
• 5wt Nanocor

• 5wt Cloisite
• 10wt Nanocor
• 10wt Cloisite 15A

HR M Minor load 10 kg, Major load 100 kg, ¼
indentor ASTM Standard D785
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RESULTS (contd)
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RESULTS (contd)

• Microscopy Evaluation

Pure Polymer 3100X
3wt Nanocor 3100X
3wt Cloiste 3100X
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RESULTS (contd)
5wt Nanocor 1000X
5wt Cloisite 1000X
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RESULTS (contd)
10 wt Cloisite 1000X
10 wt Nanocor 3100X
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DISCUSSION

• Trends show an effect on the mechanical behavior
• Lower weight percentages yielded larger moduli
  with lower elongation
• Two issues that need to be addressed
• - dispersion
• - air bubbles

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CONCLUSION

• Nanocor I.30E has better compatibility than
  Cloisite 15A with the epoxy
• Better interfacial bonding at lower weight
  percentages
• Improve interface interactions of polymer and
  inorganic particles
• A better method for separating inorganic
  materials within matrix

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FUTURE WORK

• Improve the process
• Produce a fully intercalated or exfoliated
  samples for comparison
• Optimize the weight percentage and relate the
  structure-process-property relationship

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• Dr. W. Richard Chung, Advisor
• Mr. Neil A. Peters, Microelectonics Process
  Engineer
• Mr. Alfred Kwong, Manager, Materials Failure
  Analysis Lab, Solectron Technical Center
• Ms. Teresita Villavert, Failure Analyst
  Solectron Failure Analysis Laboratory

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THANK YOU!