The Laws of 2D-Nanofiller Aggregation in Polymer Nanocomposites

-The aggregation process of 2D nanofillers (organoclay and graphene oxide (GO)) is studied within the framework of micromechanical models. The degree of aggregation of these nanofillers, expressed as the number of individual plates in one aggregate (tactoid), is determined by the ratio of the nominal moduli of elasticity of the nanofiller and the matrix polymer. It is found that increasing the first of these moduli leads to an increase in the degree of aggregation, whereas increasing the second one, leads to its reduction. This means that it is practically impossible to obtain exfoliated (separate) graphene plates in a polymer matrix. Both the studied polymer/2D nanofiller nanocomposites are reinforced with separate nanofiller aggregates, which is the optimal variant of reinforcing them.

Automated summary

The aggregation process of 2D nanofillers, such as organoclay and graphene oxide (GO), is studied. It is found that the degree of aggregation is determined by the ratio of the nanofiller's modulus of elasticity to that of the matrix polymer. Increasing the modulus of the nanofiller leads to increased aggregation, while increasing the modulus of the polymer reduces aggregation. Therefore, achieving exfoliated graphene plates in a polymer matrix is practically impossible. Reinforcing polymer/2D nanofiller nanocomposites with separate nanofiller aggregates is the optimal approach.