Nanoscale Effect of Zirconia Filler Surface on Mechanical Tensile Strength of Polymer Composites

• Main Authors: Kai Kan, Daiki Moritoh, Yuri Matsumoto, Kanami Masuda, Masataka Ohtani, Kazuya Kobiro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SpringerOpen 2020-03-01
• Series: Nanoscale Research Letters
• Subjects: Nanoparticle; Nano-concave-convex; Impregnation; Surface modification; Polymer composite
• Online Access: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s11671-020-3282-6
• ISSN: 1931-7573; 1556-276X

Abstract A characteristic effect of a nano-concave-convex structure of a zirconia nanoparticle assembly with an inherent porous structure and huge surface area enabled us to introduce systematic surface modification by thermal treatment to smooth surface and polymer impregnation to mask the nano-concave-convex structure of the zirconia nanoparticle assembly. A polymer composite prepared from 30 wt% poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) containing 0.02 wt% zirconia nanoparticle assembly with the inherent nano-concave-convex surface structure showed the highest tensile strength in mechanical tensile testing. However, both sintered zirconia nanoparticle assembly with smooth surface and zirconia nanoparticle assemblies with polymer masked surface showed lower strength with longer elongation at break in mechanical tensile testing.