Control of the Evolution of Morphology of Polymer Blends and Polymer Nanocomposites during Processing

聚合物共混物的全球市场规模约为400亿美元，年增长率约为4.4%，由于其组分的特性可以协同结合，因此被用于包装、运输、建筑等许多行业。聚合物纳米复合材料是一种在聚合物基体上分布1 ~ 100nm尺寸的填料的复合材料，在学术界和工业界越来越受欢迎。他们的市场显示出每年约20%的经济增长。***这些多相材料的工程性能取决于它们的形态，而形态又是加工过程中演变的结果。***多年来，我一直在研究影响聚合物共混物和聚合物纳米复合材料形态的因素，以及如何控制它。我在这些材料的流变学、界面控制和形貌表征方面做出了重要贡献。******目前的研究计划将继续有助于对这些多相聚合物材料在传统聚合物加工过程中的形态演变的基本理解，并将利用这些知识将其扩展到新的聚合物加工技术，如静电纺丝和增材制造。特别是，在接下来的五年里，我将***1)从理论上和实验上研究加入纳米粒子的聚合物共混物的流变行为，以了解它们在加工过程中的形态演变。***2)开发工具来控制电纺丝支架及其纤维的形态和功能特性。这涉及到静电纺丝过程的理论模型的发展，以及实验研究，以评估多相材料在该过程中形态的形成。***3)开发工具来控制聚合物共混物和纳米复合材料的形貌。这包括用打印头模拟毛细管内的流动，并在实验中评估多相材料的形态形成，最终目标是获得梯度形态材料。***6名HQP， 3名PhD和3名MSc将参与该项目。这项研究将与来自四个不同国家的研究人员合作进行：加拿大、法国、新加坡和巴西。

Polymer blends, with a global market of about $ 40 billion, which grows at about 4.4% annually, are used in many industries such as packaging, transportation, construction and others, due to the possibility of synergistically combining the properties of their components. Polymer nanocomposites, which consist of a polymer matrix in which fillers with size ranging from 1 to 100 nm are distributed, have become increasingly popular in the academic and industrial world. Their market shows economic growth of about 20% per year.***These multiphase materials have their engineering properties that depend on their morphology, which in turn, is a result of its evolution during processing. ***Over the years, I have studied the factors that affect the morphology, and how to control it for both polymer blends and polymer nanocomposites. I made significant contributions in the field of rheology, interface control and morphology characterization of these materials. ******The present research program will continue contributing to a fundamental understanding of the evolution of morphology of these multiphase polymeric materials during conventional polymer processing and will leverage this knowledge to extend it to novel polymer processing techniques such as electrospinning and additive manufacturing. ***In particular, during the next five years I will***1) Study, theoretically, as well as, experimentally, the rheological behavior of polymer blends to which nanoparticles are added, in order to understand the evolution of their morphology during processing.***2) Develop tools to control the morphology and functional properties of electrospun scaffolds and their fibers. This involves the development a theoretical model of the electrospinning process, as well as, experimental studies to evaluate the formation of morphologies of multiphase materials during that process. ***3) Develop tools to control the morphologies of polymer blends and nanocomposites processed by additive manufacturing. This includes modelling the flow within the capillary ending with the printing head, and experimentally, evaluating the morphology formation of multiphase materials with the ultimate objective of obtaining gradient morphology materials.***6 HQP, 3 PhD and 3 MSc will participate in that program.***This research will be carried out in collaboration with researchers from four different countries: Canada, France, Singapore and Brazil.