Particle surface treatment for nanocomposites containing ceramic particles

Brian McMorrow, Richard Chartoff, Pierre Lucas, Wade Richardson, Phil Anderson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Polymer matrix composites containing dispersed ceramic nanoparticles were formed by UV activated photopolymerization from the reactive liquid monomer hexanediol-diacrylate (HDODA). The polymer forming reaction proceeds by a free-radical mechanism. In forming polymer composites that contain nanoparticles, dispersing the particles as discrete entities is critical for developing optimum properties. In the as-received condition, ceramic particles are aggregated. They must be dispersed in the monomer but if the particles are not surface treated and stabilized, they rapidly settle out of the suspension. Surface modification of the ceramic allows the particles to be suspended in the organic monomer and stabilizes the dispersion so that the particles will not reagglomerate. In this study silanes were employed as surface modifiers to disperse two nano-particulate ceramics in the HDODA monomer. The ceramic particles used are silicon carbide (SiC) and barium titanate (BaTiO3). The shapes and sizes of the ceramic particles were established using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A method for dispersing nanoparticles was developed in which silane-treated particles were stabilized so that they did not settle out of the liquid monomer. An analytical method based on atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to characterize the particle distribution in the cured composites. Focusing on work with SiC nanoparticles in HDODA as a model system, the process for silane application was advanced so that it successfully yielded composites having no aggregates with particle sizes closely matching those of the neat ceramic particles.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)801-817
Number of pages17
JournalComposite Interfaces
Volume13
Issue number8-9
DOIs
StatePublished - 2006

Keywords

  • INKS CONTAINING NANOPARTICLES
  • NANOPARTICLE SURFACE MODIFICATION
  • POLYMER MATRIX NANOCOMPOSITES
  • SILANE TREATMENT OF NANOPARTICLES

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ceramics and Composites
  • General Physics and Astronomy
  • Surfaces, Coatings and Films

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Particle surface treatment for nanocomposites containing ceramic particles'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this