(59a) Industrial-Scale Fabrication of Polymer Nanocomposites with Effective Exfoliation and Dispersion Using the Solid-State/Melt Extrusion (SSME) Technique

Large-Scale
Fabrication of Polymer Nanocomposites with Effective Exfoliation and Dispersion
Using the Solid-State/Melt Extrusion (SSME) Technique

Alyssa
M. Whittington ^a, Stephen M. Brouse ^a, Michael A. Malusis
^b, and Katsuyuki Wakabayashi  ^a,*

^a
Department of Chemical Engineering, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837,
USA

^b
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Bucknell University,
Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA

Abstract

         
As polymer nanocomposites become prevalent in many real-world applications,
development of effective and versatile industrial-scale nanocomposite
processing methods is of interest.  We introduce a technique called
solid-state/melt extrusion (SSME), which combines the previously established
solid-state shear pulverization (SSSP) and conventional twin screw extrusion
(TSE) methods in one extrusion system.  The morphology and property
enhancements in a model linear-low density polyethylene/ organically modified
clay nanocomposite sample fabricated via SSME were compared to those via SSSP
and TSE.  SSME is capable of exfoliating and dispersing the nanofillers
similarly to SSSP, while achieving desirable output rate and shape offered
typically in TSE.