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Dataset and Jupyter worksheet interpreting the (results from) small- and wide-angle scattering data from a series of boehmite/epoxy nanocomposites. Accompanies the publication "Competition of nanoparticle-induced mobilization and immobilization effects on segmental dynamics of an epoxy-based nanocomposite", by Paulina Szymoniak, Brian R. Pauw, Xintong Qu, and Andreas Schönhals.
Datasets are in three-column ascii (processed and azimuthally averaged data) from a Xenocs NanoInXider SW instrument. Monte-Carlo analyses were performed using McSAS 1.3.1, other analyses are in the Python 3.7 worksheet. Graphics and result tables are output by the worksheet.
Epoxy-Based Nanocomposites—What Can Be Learned from Dielectric and Calorimetric Investigations?
(2022)
Epoxy-based nanocomposites are promisingmaterials for industrial applications (i.e., aerospace, marine, and automotive industries) due to their extraordinary mechanical and thermal properties. Regardless of the broad field of applications, there is still a considerable need to identify their structure–property relationships. Here, a detailed dielectric and calorimetric (DSC and fast scanning calorimetry) study on different epoxy-based nanocomposites was performed. Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA) cured with diethylenetriamine (DETA) was employed as the polymeric matrix, which was reinforced with three diverse nanofillers that exhibit different interaction strengths with the epoxy matrix (halloysite nanotubes, surface modified halloysite nanotubes, and taurine-modified layered double hydroxide). The structure, molecular mobility, and vitrification behavior are discussed in detail, focusing on the intrinsic structural and dynamic heterogeneity, as well as interfacial properties.
Polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) with inorganic nanofillers dispersed in a polymer matrix have been widely studied from the 1990s, since the pioneering work by Toyota Central Research. The possibility of producing advanced tailor-made, light weight and low-cost materials, inspired academic and commercial research towards numerous potential applications, facilitating PNCs to become a billion-dollar global industry. The introduction of nanoparticles (NPs) to a polymer matrix is expected to result in improved properties. The outstanding performance of PNCs is determined not only by the characteristics of the used components but also by their phase morphology, including the dispersion of NPs and interfacial properties. Understanding of structure-property relationships is particularly important for polymer nanocomposites with high industrial significance, such as epoxy-based materials reinforced with inorganic nanofillers. These PNCs have been successfully adopted by the marine, automotive and aerospace industries, although they are still rarely studied on a fundamental level. Therefore, this thesis aims for a detailed understanding of the structure, molecular mobility and vitrification kinetics first, of two epoxy-based materials with different network structures and second, of the corresponding nanocomposites with different alumina-based nanofillers. The first system considered (EP/T-LDH) was based on bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA) cured with diethylenetriamine (DETA) and taurine-modified layered double hydroxide (T-LDH) NPs. The taurine molecule bears additional functionalities that could enhance the interactions between the matrix and the nanofiller, improving the interphase formation. The seconds system (EP/BNP) was based on DGEBA and methyl tetrahydrophtalic acid anhydride (MTHPA) as a hardener, reinforced with boehmite nanoparticles (BNPs). The comparison of the two systems enables for a comparative study on the effect of different hardeners and the morphology and modification of the alumina-based nanofillers on the material behavior. The materials were investigated employing complementary techniques with different sensitivities and frequency windows. The following methodology was used: transmission electron microscopy (TEM), small – and wide – angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS), broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS), calorimetry in a form of conventional DSC and fast scanning calorimetry (FSC), as well as specific heat spectroscopy (SHS) in a form of temperature modulated DSC, temperature modulated FSC and static FSC by calculating the thermal relaxation rates from the cooperativity approach. The FSC method (based on adiabatic chip calorimetry to probe micrometer-sized samples) was successfully employed in this work, exploiting all its possibilities for the first time in literature for a PNC. Moreover, a systematic analysis technique was established to overcome the problem of vague glass transition regions observed for highly loaded PNCs in the heat flow and heat capacity curves.
First, TEM, SAXS/WAXS and indirectly BDS and SHS were employed to obtain the information about the approximate morphology of the PNCs. It was found that epoxy-based materials exhibit a structural heterogeneity in a form of regions with different average crosslinking density. This was indicated by multiple-peak scattering pattern of the polymer matrix and two distinct α-processes (dynamic glass transition) related to the cooperative fluctuation of the epoxy network found by BDS and SHS. This was described for the first time for epoxy-based materials. The two α-relaxations were evidenced differently for the two systems, which is related to different network structures and dipole moments due to the employed hardeners. Nevertheless, structural heterogeneity is an intrinsic feature of these materials, independent of the type of hardener used for the network formation and nanofiller. In addition, matrix inhomogeneities were more pronounced with increasing nanoparticle content. Furthermore, a powerful new technique was applied for X-ray scattering data, using Monte Carlo fits, to describe the NPs dispersion throughout the whole sample volume (as opposed to the local investigations performed by most researches). Additional structural information of the two systems was extracted by BDS and SHS, such as qualitative and quantitative estimation of polymer segments physically adsorbed and/or chemically bonded onto the nanoparticles. Due to the immobilized character of this interphase with respect to the cooperative segmental motions, it is denoted as a rigid amorphous fraction (RAF). For instance, on the contrary to EP/BNP, for EP/T-LDH a dielectrically active process was found, related to the localized fluctuations within RAF. Moreover, the amount of RAF in EP/T-LDH was reaching up to 40 wt % of the system, whereas in EP/BNP it ranged between 1-7 wt %. In the latter case the presence of NPs was found to simultaneously increase and decrease the number of mobile segments, due to the interphase formation and changes in crosslinking density. The difference between the two systems was ascribed to the presence of additional amine functionalities in the T-LDH nanofiller.
Second, employing BDS and SHS, a systematic study on the effect of NPs on the segmental dynamics was performed. For example, depending on the nanofiller, the α-processes related to regions with higher crosslinking density was found to shift to higher and lower temperatures with increasing T-LDH and BNPs concentration, respectively. The observed difference is due to the different synergism of the polymer matrix with the nanofiller.
Third, a detailed investigation of the vitrification kinetics was performed with DSC and FSC. The concentration dependence of the glass transition temperature was found, similar to the behavior of the α-processes. It was shown that, in parallel to the detected main glass transition, epoxy-based materials can exhibit an additional low temperature vitrification mechanism. As expected from the two distinct α-processes, this behavior was however not discussed in prior studies for an unfilled network former. This finding was correlated to the structural heterogeneity evidenced by other techniques.
This thesis, dealing with an in-depth research on the epoxy-based materials that are already successfully employed in numerous applications underlines the necessity of more fundamental research in this field. It shines light on the complexity of these systems and contributes to defining how the structure-property relationships can be determined by combining multiple experimental techniques and analytical methodology.
The complex effects of nanoparticles on a thermosetting material based on an anhydride cured DGEBA/Boehmite nanocomposite with different particle concentrations is considered. A combination of X-ray scattering, calorimetry, including fast scanning calorimetry as well as temperature modulated calorimetry and dielectric spectroscopy, was employed to study the structure, the vitrification kinetics and the molecular dynamics of the nanocomposites. For the first time in the literature for an epoxy-based composite a detailed analysis of the X-ray data was carried out. Moreover, the unfilled polymer was found to be intrinsically heterogeneous, showing regions with different crosslinking density, indicated by two separate dynamic glass transitions. The glass transition temperature decreases with increasing nanoparticle concentration, resulting from a change in the crosslinking density. Moreover, on the one hand, for nanocomposites the incorporation of nanofiller increased the number of mobile segments for low nanoparticle concentrations, due to the altered crosslinking density. On the other hand, for higher loading degrees the number of mobile segments decreased, resulting from the formation of an immobilized interphase (RAF). The simultaneous mobilization and immobilization of the segmental dynamics cannot be separated unambiguously. Taking the sample with highest number of mobile segments as reference state it was possible to estimate the amount of RAF.
Epoxy nanocomposites are promising materials for industrial applications (i.e., aerospace, marine and automotive industry) due to their extraordinary mechanical and thermal properties. Here, the effect of hollow halloysite nanotubes (HNT) on an epoxy matrix (Ep) was the focus of the study. The structure and molecular mobility of the nanocomposites were investigated using a combination of X-ray scattering, calorimetry (differential (DSC) and fast scanning calorimetry (FSC)) and dielectric spectroscopy. Additionally, the effect of surface modification of HNT (polydopamine (PDA) and Fe(OH)3 nanodots) was considered. For Ep/HNT, the glass transition temperature (Tg) is was de-creased due to a nanoparticle-related decrease of the crosslinking density. For the modified system, Ep/m-HNT, the surface modification resulted in enhanced filler–matrix interactions leading to higher Tg values than the pure epoxy in some cases. For Ep/m-HNT, the amount of interface formed between the nanoparticles and the matrix ranged from 5% to 15%. Through BDS measurements, localized fluctuations were detected as a β- and γ-relaxation, related to rotational fluctuations of phenyl rings and local reorientations of unreacted components. A combination of calorimetry and BDS dielectric spectroscopy revealed a dynamic and structural heterogeneity of the matrix, as confirmed by two glassy dynamics in both systems, related to regions with different crosslinking densities.
A detailed calorimetric study on an epoxy-based nanocomposite system was performed employing bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA) cured with diethylenetriamine (DETA) as the polymer matrix and taurine-modified MgAL layered double hydroxide (T-LDH) as nanofiller. The -NH2 group of taurine can react with DGEBA improving the interaction of the polymer with the filler. The combined X-ray scattering, and electron microscopy data showed that the nanocomposite has a partially exfoliated morphology. Calorimetric studies were performed with conventional DSC, temperature modulated DSC (TMDSC) and fast scanning calorimetry (FSC) in the temperature modulated approach (TMFSC) to investigate the vitrification and molecular mobility in dependence of the filler concentration. First, TMDSC and NMR were used to estimate the amount of the rigid amorphous fraction which consists of immobilized polymer segments at the nanoparticle surface. It was found to be 40 wt% for the highest filler concentration, indicating that the interface dominates the overall macroscopic properties and behavior of the material to a great extent. Second, the relaxation rates of the α-relaxation obtained by TMDSC and TMFSC were compared with the thermal and dielectric relaxation rates measured by static FSC. The investigation revealed that the system shows two distinct α-relaxation processes. Furthermore, also two separate vitrification mechanisms were found for a bulk network-former without geometrical confinement as also confirmed by NMR. This was discussed in terms of the intrinsic spatial heterogeneity on a molecular scale, which becomes more pronounced with increasing nanofiller content.
Historically, to tune the properties of a polymer or more general soft matter systems by a second phase is not a new concept and dates back to the 40s of the last century. Beside some successes, the improvement of the properties remained somehow limited. The expectations of the enhancement of the properties of composites changed by the developments of Toyota Central research in the 1990s. It was shown that the incorporation of 5 vol% exfoliated layers of a clay system into a polymer leads to a strong improvement of the mechanical and thermal properties. This discovery stimulated a broad research interest of both fundamental and applied character. Today, polymer-based nanocomposites have reached a billion-dollar global market. The corresponding applications span from components for transportation, commodity plastics with enhanced barrier and/or flame retardancy characteristics, to polymers with electrical properties for shielding, electronics, sensors, and solar cells as well as to live science. Important fields are filled rubbers, reinforced thermoplastics, or thermosets for automotive, aircraft/space and marine industries, but also membranes for separation processes as well as barrier layers, just to mention a few.
For a variety of applications, the molecular mobility in nanocomposites is of great importance. This concerns the molecular mobility needed to form a percolating filler network in rubbers used in tires or in composites employed in electric shielding applications. In general, it is also essential for processing polymer-based nanocomposites. Furthermore, separation processes in composite materials for membranes require a certain molecular mobility. This also concern nanodielectrics used in electrical applications or sensors where the mobility of charge carriers can be related to the fluctuations of molecular groups etc. Finally, the molecular mobility can be taken as probe for structure on a molecular scale.
Broadband dielectric spectroscopy is a powerful tool to investigate the molecular mobility in polymer systems. It is due to the extremely broad frequency and sensitivity range that can be covered by this technique. Information about localized and cooperative molecular fluctuations, polarization effects at interfaces, as well as charge transport processes can be deduced. Therefore, this book focusses on broadband dielectric spectroscopy of composite materials. Moreover, the dielectric studies are accompanied by mechanical spectroscopy, advanced calorimetry, NMR techniques, as well as transmission electron microscopy and X-ray scattering investigations.
Besides a brief introduction to (nano)composites, the book aims to address fundamental aspects of the molecular mobility in this innovative group of materials. Selected examples with scientific interest and some cases with high industrial impact were chosen. Due to the breadth of the subject, unfortunately not all topics could be addressed in detail, such as processing for instance.
Berlin, Andreas Schönhals
July 2021 Paulina Szymoniak
The chapter gives a brief introduction to (nano)compositecomposite materials having the focus on polymer-based nanocomposites. The different dimensionalities of nanoparticles are introduced, along with their distribution in the matrix.
Different application fields of polymer-based nanocomposites, like flame retardancy, filled rubbers, nanofilled thermosets and thermoplastics, separation membranes and nanodielectrics, are considered in greater detail.
The reinforcing effect of boehmite nanoparticles (BNP) in epoxy resins for fiber composite lightweight construction is related to the formation of a soft but bound interphase between filler and polymer. The interphase is able to dissipate crack propagation energy and consequently increases the fracture toughness of the epoxy resin. Usually, the nanoparticles are dispersed in the resin and then mixed with the hardener to form an applicable mixture to impregnate the fibers. If one wishes to locally increase the fracture toughness at particularly stressed positions of the fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPC), this could be done by spraying nanoparticles from a suspension. However, this would entail high costs for removing the nanoparticles from the ambient air. We propose that a fiber fleece containing bound nanoparticles be inserted at exposed locations. For the present proof-of-concept study, an electrospun polycarbonate nonwoven and taurine modified BNP are proposed. After fabrication of suitable PC/EP/BNP composites, the thermomechanical properties were tested by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Comparatively, the local nanomechanical properties such as stiffness and elastic modulus were determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM). An additional investigation of the distribution of the nanoparticles in the epoxy matrix, which is a prerequisite for an effective nanocomposite, is carried out by scanning electron microscopy in transmission mode (TSEM). From the results it can be concluded that the concept of carrier fibers for nanoparticles is viable.
Though the reinforcing properties of inorganic particles in thermosetting nanocomposites, has been exploited, the integration of nanoparticles continues to be challenging in terms of their homogeneous distribution and their manipulation which can contribute to occupational hazards. Due to a second encapsulations of nanoparticles, electrospun nanocomposite fibers containing nanoparticles might be an alternative for overcoming these issues, as the fiber nonwovens contains the nanoparticles allowing for safer manipulation. Here, the morphology, and the thermal properties of electrospun polycarbonate fibers containing taurine modified boehmite nanoparticles (BNP) are investigated by means of small and wide-angle X-ray scattering as well as fast scanning and temperature modulated fast scanning calorimetry for the first time. The latter techniques allow the investigation of the thermal properties of single fibers at heating rates up to 10^4 K s^-1 keeping its structure intact. A quantitative analysis of the scattering data reveals a porous structure of the fibers. The porous structure is quantified regarding the pore volume and the pore size. A constant amount of aggregation is found even for the highly BNP loaded fibers. Thermal analysis on the fibers reveals a rigid amorphous fraction (RAF) where it is known that RAF determinates the properties of a nanocomposite to a large extent. For the fibers RAF amounts up to 40 wt%, which is essential higher compared to equally formulated PC/BNP composite cast films. The RAF in the case of the fibers, is not only due to the presence of particles in the polymer but also due to orientation effects induced by the electrospinning process.