AFINITY - Analysis of functionalised nanomaterial interactions with polymers

Haydale集团拥有一系列等离子体功能化纳米材料(HDPlas)产品，它们分散在各种聚合物中，以增强客户的产品。Haydale内部进行的无数开发表明，使用他们获得专利的HDPlas等离子体技术有效地在纳米材料表面赋予特定的官能团，以改善宿主聚合物内的兼容性。这种纳米材料的表面功能导致了在使用非功能化纳米材料的基础上，最终产品的性能增强。解释纳米材料的等离子体功能化实现观察到的性能改善的机制，如机械、导热和电导，将使Haydale能够专注于其整个产品范围的开发；允许快速高效地选择可以优化其当前产品性能的改进的功能化化学物质。AFINITY的目标是使用国家物理实验室(NPL)的高级分析技术和科学技术设施委员会(STFC)的建模双重方法来揭示这一机制。这种使用分析设施和补充模型的双重方法将确保从Afinity获得最高水平的信息，并以高水平的信心和准确性得出任何结论。

The Haydale group have a range of plasma functionalised nanomaterial (HDPlas) products which they disperse in a variety of polymers to enhance their customers products. Countless developments conducted within Haydale have demonstrated that the use of their patented HDPlas plasma technology is effective in imparting specific functional groups to the nanomaterial surface for improved compatibility within the host polymer. This nanomaterial surface functionality leads to property enhancements in the final products above and beyond the use of unfunctionalised nanomaterials.Interpreting the mechanism by which the plasma functionalisation of nanomaterials enables the observed property improvements, such as mechanical, thermal and electrical conductivity, will enable Haydale to focus the development of their entire product range; allowing quick and efficient selection of improved functionalisation chemistries that can optimise the performance of their current products.AFINITY aims to uncover this mechanism using a dual approach of advanced analytical techniques at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and modelling at the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). This dual approach of using analytical facilities with complimentary modelling will ensure that the highest level of information is obtained from AFINITY, and that any conclusions are drawn with a high level of confidence and accuracy.