Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5184059 | Polymer | 2011 | 7 Pages |
Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations are used to investigate the effect of nanorods on the interface of immiscible A/B homopolymer blends. The nanorods are constructed by a string of beads connected through the spring forces, and then their rigidity is achieved depending on the angle forces. For the low volume fraction and/or aspect ratio, nanorods lead to broaden the interfacial width, D and decrease the interfacial tension, γS with the increase of the volume fraction. There is also a pronounced linear relationship. For the high volume fraction and/or aspect ratio, the variation of D and γS is found to depend on Onsager's dimensionless parameter Ïν, where Ï and ν are the volume fraction and aspect ratio of nanorods in the systems, respectively. Two scaling D â¼Â (Ïν)3 and γS â¼Â (Ïν)2 are constructed. These results indicate that nanorods can indeed be used as a compatibilizing agent of immiscible blends as mentioned in reference [J. Chem. Phys. 2008, 128, 054901] and improve the interfacial characteristics, only when the parameters (Ïν) in the correct range are chosen.
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