Melt elongation of polymer nanocomposites : A method for the controlled production of dichroic films

• A processing method based on stretching of molten polymer nanocomposites was applied to prepare dichroic films. First, dodecanethiol-capped gold particles were embedded in low density polyethylene. The resulting isotropic films were stretched in the melt under uniaxial loading using an elongational rheometer. The melt elongation technique resulted in reproducible characteristics of the optical properties and can be directly transferred to an industrial scale. The organic coating of the metal particles plays an important role in the generation of the dichroism. A reactive surface (adsorbed perfluorophenyl azide) led to strongly agglomerated particles which obviously did not lead to dichroic films.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

extensional flows; dichroism; polymer nanocomposites; surface-stabilized nanoparticles

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)