TY - JOUR
T1 - Structured Polyethylene Nanocomposites
T2 - Effects of Crystal Orientation and Nanofiller Alignment on High Field Dielectric Properties
AU - Li, Bo
AU - Camilli, C. I.
AU - Xidas, P. I.
AU - Triantafyllidis, K. S.
AU - Manias, E.
N1 - Funding Information:
Financial support by the National Science Foundation, as part of the Center for Dielectrics and Piezoelectrics under Grants IIP-1361571 and IIP-1361503 is acknowledged. Additional support through CSC, PPG, and ΓΓΕΤ fellowships is acknowledged by BL, CIC, and PIX, respectively.
Funding Information:
Financial support by the National Science Foundation, as part of the Center for Dielectrics and Piezoelectrics under Grants IIP-1361571 and IIP-1361503 is acknowledged. Additional support through CSC, PPG, and ÃÃÅÔ fellowships is acknowledged by BL, CIC, and PIX, respectively.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Materials Research Society.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - In previous work we have shown that aligned high aspect-ratio (pseudo-2D) nanofillers can yield large dielectric breakdown strength (EBD) improvements for a nanocomposite with a low-crystallinity polyethylene matrix. Here, we report a systematic study which delineates the contributions of the aligned inorganic fillers and of the aligned polymer crystallites in the overall EBD improvement achieved in the nanocomposites. Specifically, extrusion blown-molded polyethylene/montmorillonite nanocomposite films were cold-stretched to various strains, to further align the nanoparticles parallel to the film surface; this filler alignment is accompanied by a commensurate alignment of the polymer crystallites, especially those heterogeneously nucleated by the fillers. A systematic series of films are studied, with increased extent of alignment of the fillers and of the crystalline lamellae (quantified through Hermans orientation order parameters from 2D X-ray diffraction studies) and the aligned structure is correlated to the electric field breakdown strength (quantified through Weibull failure studies). It is shown that aligned pseudo-2D inorganic nanofillers provide additional strong improvements in EBD, improvements that are beyond, and added in excess of, any EBD increases due to polymer-crystal orientation.
AB - In previous work we have shown that aligned high aspect-ratio (pseudo-2D) nanofillers can yield large dielectric breakdown strength (EBD) improvements for a nanocomposite with a low-crystallinity polyethylene matrix. Here, we report a systematic study which delineates the contributions of the aligned inorganic fillers and of the aligned polymer crystallites in the overall EBD improvement achieved in the nanocomposites. Specifically, extrusion blown-molded polyethylene/montmorillonite nanocomposite films were cold-stretched to various strains, to further align the nanoparticles parallel to the film surface; this filler alignment is accompanied by a commensurate alignment of the polymer crystallites, especially those heterogeneously nucleated by the fillers. A systematic series of films are studied, with increased extent of alignment of the fillers and of the crystalline lamellae (quantified through Hermans orientation order parameters from 2D X-ray diffraction studies) and the aligned structure is correlated to the electric field breakdown strength (quantified through Weibull failure studies). It is shown that aligned pseudo-2D inorganic nanofillers provide additional strong improvements in EBD, improvements that are beyond, and added in excess of, any EBD increases due to polymer-crystal orientation.
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U2 - 10.1557/adv.2016.638
DO - 10.1557/adv.2016.638
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85041355972
SN - 2059-8521
VL - 2
SP - 363
EP - 368
JO - MRS Advances
JF - MRS Advances
IS - 6
ER -