?Crystallization behaviour of polymer nanocomposites?, en Crystallization in Multi-phase Polymer Systems

CYRAS, VIVIANA P.; DAMICO, DAVID. A; MANFREDI, LILIANA B.

Crystallization in Multiphase Polymer Systems

Elsevier

Año: 2017; p. 1 - 610

Since the pioneering work by Toyota Central Research Laboratories in the late 1985s,polymer nanocomposites appeared as a new class of materials that have attracted theattention of researchers and industrial area. The incorporation of certain nanoparticlesmakes the nanocomposites to gain a series of unique properties, such as optical, mechanical,thermal, electrical, magnetic, and surface wear. The main factor is the largesurface area to volume ratio of the nanoparticles, which is also expected to have amarked effect on the crystallization behavior of polymer. The processing of polymer(extrusion, injection molding, and film blowing) generally involves nonisothermalcrystallization conditions, so the knowledge of the parameters affecting crystallizationis crucial for the optimization of the processing conditions and the properties of the endproduct [1]. In semicrystalline polymers, several properties are highly affected by thedegree of crystallinity and the morphology (crystal sizes and crystalline structure),which depend on the conditions under which the crystallization process was carriedout. The main known effects during crystallization are heterogeneous nucleation,transcrystallinity, and epitaxy [2]. Solid surfaces existent in a polymer melt induce heterogeneousnucleation by reducing the critical enthalpy for nucleation at the meltesolid interface. With the large surface area of nanoparticles, the chain mobility nearthe particle surface could widely affect crystallization. Additionally, the interaction betweenthe polymer and the nanoparticle surface affects the polymer morphology [3].In this chapter, recent progress made in understanding the crystallization inpolymer nanocomposites is described. It begins with the principal nanofillersused, and then focuses on the effect that nanofillers have on various aspects of crystallizationsuch as crystallization kinetics, crystal structure, and nucleation effect.