Premium
Novel Approach of Evaluating Polymer Nanocomposite Structure by Measurements of the Freezing‐Point Depression
Author(s) -
LópezManchado Miguel A.,
Valentín Juan L.,
Herrero Berta,
Arroyo Miguel
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
macromolecular rapid communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.348
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1521-3927
pISSN - 1022-1336
DOI - 10.1002/marc.200400148
Subject(s) - nucleation , nanocomposite , organoclay , materials science , natural rubber , freezing point depression , polymer , composite material , solvent , montmorillonite , freezing point , chemical engineering , polymer chemistry , chemistry , thermodynamics , organic chemistry , physics , engineering
Summary: A novel experimental approach based on the freezing‐point depression of a solvent in a swollen gel has been developed to characterize the structure of nanocomposites. A higher depression in the freezing point has been related with an exfoliated nanocomposite. This increased depression not only depends on the formation of a tighter network but also on the decrease of the size of the solvent cages where the nucleation takes place.The nucleation process of unfilled and organoclay‐filled natural rubber with the same crosslinking density.