pps proceeding - Abstract Preview
pps proceeding
Symposium: S15 - Special: Flexible electronics Polymers and Processes
Keynote Presentation
 
 

Field Assisted Algnment of Phases to Produce Films with highly directional Morphology and Properties

Cakmak Miko (1)*, Yook Sung Ho (1)

(1) Purdue University - Indiana - USA

The tailoring of the morphology in polymeric materials has been essential issue as the properties of the materials are highly dependent on their morphology. In this talk, we will describe a general pathway to prepare directionally-organized morphology in polymeric materials by using external field-assisted orientation of internal nanofillers. In the first part, We will discuss the anisotropic phase-separated morphology in polystyrene (PS) - poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME) blend by using electrically pre-orientated clay platelets. The clay platelets were oriented in a PS/PVME blend by means of an externally applied AC electric field while the blend is in one phase. Following orientation step, phase separation of the blends was induced by a temperature jump above their lower critical solution temperature (LCST) in the presence of the oriented clay platelets. In this process, an early stage co-continuous PS / PVME morphology coarsened and turned anisotropic phase-separated morphology parallel to the direction defined by clay planes oriented by AC electric field. The degree of anisotropy of PS / PVME phase-separated morphology was characterized by image analysis and that was found to be linearly proportional to the degree of orientation of clay platelets obtained by a 2D Wide Angle X-ray Scattering (WAXS). Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) image of the blend morphology revealed that clay platelets oriented to AC field direction were located in a PVME phase. This process promises to be a general technique to produce anisotropic polymer films with unique anisotropic electrical, ionic and optical properties. In the second part, We will describe anisotropic hydrogels produced by magnetic alignment of magnetically sensitized nanoclays. Following nanoclay orientation in a liquid state, the polymerization of monomers fixed the developed oriented structure. The resultant anisotropic hydrogels exhibit substantial swelling anisotropy making them suitable for wound dressings