Polymer Nanocomposites

Polymers with improved thermal properties

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Polymers due to their disordered nature display low thermal conductivity. Enhancing their conductivity is one of the greatest challenge in material science and would open the way to utilize polymeric materials in a broad range of applications where optimal heat dissipation is desired. Using atomistic simulations, we show how "hairy" nanoparticles grafted by polymer chains may improve thermal contact with the polymer matrix thus enhancing the conductivity of the resulting composite. 

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Reinforcement of fractal like nanocomposites

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Dispersing a tiny amount of nanoparticles in a polymer matrix is known to enhance the properties of the polymer. This strategy has been long exploited in the car industry to design tires with improved reinforcement properties. Yet, our physical understanding of these effects is very limited. We build up coarse-grained models of polymer nanocomposites to highlight the role of aggregate morphology in the transport properties of these systems.

 

Collaborators : F. Detcheverry (ILM), J. Lam (CEMES), M. Couty (Michelin), G. Maurel (Michelin), J.-L. Barrat (LIPHY), F. Leroy (Darmstadt)

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Students : Y. Wang (2015-2018)

 

Recent publications :

-Y. Wang, G. Maurel, M. Gouty, F. Detcheverry, S. Merabia, « Implicit Medium Model for Fractal Aggregate Polymer Nanocomposites: Linear Viscoelastic Properties », Macromolecules, 52 (2019) 2021

 

-E. Masnada, S. Merabia, M. Couty and J.-L. Barrat, « Entanglement induced reinforcement in polymer nanocomposites », Soft Matter, 9 (2013) 10532