Molecules (Dec 2022)

Influencing the Crystalline Domains of Poly(vinylidenedifluoride) Composites Using Fluorinated Silica Nanoparticles as Drop-In Modifiers

  • Nathan J. Weeks,
  • Cole R. Phelps,
  • Enrique T. Gazmin,
  • Scott T. Iacono

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27238398
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 27, no. 23
p. 8398

Abstract

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Improvements to fluoropolymer processing techniques by way of utilizing nanoparticles as drop-in processing aids have pronounced effects on bulk composite properties. In this work, we prepared fluoroalkyl-silanized silica nanoparticles (F-SiNPs, ca. 200 nm) that were solvent-blended with polyvinylenedifluoride (PVDF) in order to prepare composites with varying weight fractions. We demonstrated that the ability to functionalize SiNPs with long fluoroalkylchains that induced co-crystallization with the PVDF matrix, resulting in uniform particle dispersion and improved interlaminate adhesion. This was quantitatively investigated using calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis, which showed a decrease in the bulk crystallinity of the virgin PVDF from 37% to 10% with minimal 10 wt % F-SiNP loading, rendering a nearly amorphous PVDF. Additional discussions in this work include the effects of various bare and fluoroalkyl-functionalized SiNP loadings on the amorphous and crystalline domains of the PVDF matrix, as well as thermal decomposition.

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