Less-ordered lamellar structure of intercalated poly(L-lactide)/organo-modified montmorillonite hybrids

Fabrication of Transparent Nanohybrids with Heat Resistance Using High-Density Amorphous Formation and Uniform Dispersion of Nanodiamond

A new technology for the production of transparent material using a "crystalline" polymer is proposed in the present study. Further, transparent and flexible crystalline polymer nanohybrid film containing well-dispersed nanodiamond filler was fabricated. Partially fluorinated crystalline polymer with switchboard-type lamellae results in high transparency as a consequence of the formation of a high-density amorphous structure based on high-temperature drawing just below the melting point at 110 °C. Although the formation of nanohybrid materials composed of fluorinated-polymer/organo-modified nanocarbon is generally difficult, we confirmed the formation, via melt-compounding, using atomic force microscopy and wide-angle X-ray diffraction. Even though the polymer matrix/nanodiamond hybrid has remarkable aggregation properties, a well-dispersed state was achieved because of improvement in wettability obtained through surface modification of filler. The resulting nanohybrid demonstrates transparency, increased thermal degradation temperature, and enhanced mechanical properties, which seem to be derived from the nucleation effect caused by the adsorption of the terminal polymer chain onto the organic modifier.