Nanocomposite with oriented characterization

Kim and Park presented the first reported use of vertically oriented titanium oxide nanotube/PPy nanocomposites to increase the SC of TiO -based energy-storage devices [64]. To increase their electrical storage capacity, the TiO nanotubes were coated with PPy and their morphologies were characterized. The incorporation of PPy increased the SC of the TiO nanotubes-based supercapacitor system, due to their increased surface area and additional pseudo-capacitance. 

Several studies on the characterization and fabrication of carbon nanotube-polymer nanocomposites have highlighted the important roles of the parameters discussed in Chapter 2 (such as, orientation, dispersion, and interfacial adhesion) in determining the properties of the composites. Jia et al. [75] used an in situ process for the fabrication of a PM M A/ M WNT composite. An initiator was used to open up the Jt bonds of the MWNTs in order to increase the linkage with the PMMA. The formation of C—C bonds results in a strong interface between the nanotubes and the PMMA. 

This chapter is organized in the following way. First, we present some common techniques for characterizing the dispersion of nanoclays in polymer blends. The dispersion level has been shown to have a fundamental effect on the fire performance of polymer-clay nanocomposites (PCNs), as an exfoliated or intercalated polymer-clay system seems to enjoy reduced flammability. Second, the effects of nanoclays on the viscosity of polymer blends are discussed. With increased temperature in the condensed phase during combustion, most polymers (and hence polymer blends) have sufficiently low viscosity to flow under their own weight. This is highly undesirable, especially when the final products will be used in vertical orientation, because the melt can drip, having the potential to form a pool fire, which can increase fire spread. The results on thermal stability are presented next, followed by those for the cone calorimeter. The quantitative effects of nanoclays on the... 

The XRD is a simple and convenient method to determine d-spacing for immiscible or intercalated arrangements of layered silicates in bio-nanocomposites. However, it may be insufficient to characterize exfoliated nanostmctures. Absence of peak in diffraction pattern is often misinterpreted as an indication of exfoliation. Other than exfoliation, dilution, and preferred orientation of clay in nanocomposites might result in a diffraction pattern with no peak. The XRD cannot be used to determine the spatial distribution and dispersion of layered silicates in bio-nanocomposites (Morgan and Gilman 2003). Therefore, XRD should always be used in conjunction with some other techniques such as TEM, SEM, or AFM. 

For the characterizing the effect of the CNT on the composite modulus of the PEN/CNT nanocomposites, it is also instructive to compare the experimental results with the values predicted form the theoretical models. By assuming the PEN/CNT nanocomposites as randomly oriented discontinuous fiber lamina, the composite modulus (Ec) can be determined from the following equation [150, 151] ... 

Chandran A, Prakash J, Naik KK, Srivastava AK, D browski R, Czerwinski M, Biradar AM (2014) Preparation and characterization of MgO nanoparticles/ferroelectric liquid crystal composites for faster display devices with improved contrast. J Mater Chem C 2 1844-1853 Chatterjee T, Mitchell CA, Hadjiev VG, Krishnamoorti R (2012) Oriented single-walled carbon nanotubes-poly(ethylene oxide) nanocomposites. Macromolecules 45 9357-9363 Chiu JJ, Kim BJ, Kramer EJ, Pine DJ (2005) Control of nanoparticle location in block copolymers. J Am Chem Soc 127 5036-5037... 

In this study, the controllable in situ stmcturing capabilities of CCBs are implemented to investigate ciystallinity changes and barrier properties of nanoclay-polymer composites where platelets are localized and oriented within numerous discrete layers. An example of these nanocomposites, which are currently extmded as film, is given in Fig. 3 [1,8,9]. Platelets reside within polyamide-6 and are separated by polyamide-6 layers. The polyamide-6 and platelet-rich layers can have thicknesses of only tens of nanometers while separation distances between individual platelets can be much smaller. Multiple nanoscales characterize such nanocomposites all of which can be controllably altered with a CCB to effect systematic investigations of stmcture-properly effects. 

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