Microlayer Polymeric Composites

9705696贝尔增层设备的开发允许聚合物片材或薄膜与成百上千个两种或更多材料的交替层连续共挤出。可以产生从宏观(几十微米)到微米(几微米)，最后到纳米(几十纳米)的层厚度。由于需要新的加工技术来制造不相容聚合物的工程微结构，CWRU在上一次赠款期间创建了一个微层设施。这一独特的设施包括一个双组分工艺，它生产具有聚合物A和聚合物B交替层的片材或薄膜，以及第二个系统，在A和B之间增加第三个“结层”(聚合物C)。将启动一个研究计划，研究通过这种多功能工艺可以实现的优势。新的机会将在两个广泛的领域得到解决：(1)利用微层共挤出创建的模型系统对粘合、扩散和结晶进行基础研究，以及(2)创造和表征具有协同增强性能的新材料，其中性能可能是机械、光学、阻挡、电子或这些性能的组合。这个项目将为基于多层不同聚合物的机械改进材料的产生提供对新加工技术的基本理解。***

9705696 Baer Development of layer-multiplying devices permits continuous co-extrusion of polymer sheet or film with hundreds or thousands of alternating layers of two or more materials. Layer thicknesses from the macroscale (tens of microns) to the microscale (several microns) and finally to the nanoscale (tens of nanometers) can be created. Motivated by the need for new processing technologies for creating engineered microstructures of incompatible polymers, a microlayer facility was created at CWRU during the previous grant period. This unique facility includes a two-component process that produces sheet or film with alternating layer of polymer A and polymer B, and a second system that adds a third "tie" layer (polymer C) between A and B. A research program to study the advantages that can be achieved with this versatile process will be initiated. New opportunities will be addressed in two broad areas: (1) Fundamental studies of adhesion, diffusion, and crystallization utilizing model systems created by microlayer coextrusion, and (2) creation and characterization of new materials that exhibit synergistically enhanced properties where the properties might be mechanical, optical, barrier, electronic or combinations of these. %%% This project will provide fundamental understanding of novel processing technologies for the generation of mechanically improved materials based upon multiple layers of different polymers. ***