Paper Number
SR10 

Session
Sustainable and Recyclable Polymers

Title
Linear and nonlinear viscoelastic properties of associating polymer-nanoparticle hybrids

Presentation Date and Time
October 10, 2022 (Monday) 2:30

Track / Room
Track 4 / Michigan AB

Authors (Click on name to view author profile)

  1. Patil, Shalin (Michigan State University)
  2. Dong, Xue-hui (South China University of Technology)
  3. Cheng, Shiwang (Michigan State University)

Author and Affiliation Lines (in printed abstract book)
Shalin Patil1, Xue-hui Dong2 and Shiwang Cheng1
1Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824; 2South China University of Technology, GuangZhou, China

Speaker / Presenter 
Patil, Shalin

Keywords
composite rheology; polymer sustainability; recyclable polymers; rheometry techniques

Text of Abstract
Associating polymers with associating groups discretely distributed along the chain is an important type of sustainable polymer with designed end-of-life. The reversible association/dissociation dynamics control their viscoelastic properties and processing. Thus, a clear understanding of the reversible associating dynamics and their relationship with their linear and nonlinear rheology is crucial. In this work, we design and synthesize a model unentangled associating polymer, the linear polystyrene (PS)-polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) alternating polymer hybrids, and investigate their linear and nonlinear viscoelastic properties. Small-angle x-ray scattering shows clear evidence of POSS clustering, implying the POSS-POSS association. Linear viscoelastic measurements, on the other hand, show a clear modulus plateau at the intermediate frequency regime and a secondary plateau at the low-frequency regime. Detailed analyses demonstrate the predominant intra-molecular rather than inter-molecular POSS-POSS association. Moreover, nonlinear rheology characterization of the PS-POSS exhibits several unconventional nonlinear responses, including yielding and strain hardening. The details of the linear and nonlinear rheological responses and their connection with the POSS-POSS association will be discussed in the presentation.