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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

The Preparation and Properties of Thermo-reversibly Cross-linked Rubber Via Diels-Alder Chemistry
Published on: August 25, 2016
Calculation of local mechanical properties of filled polymers
George J Papakonstantopoulos1, Manolis Doxastakis, Paul F Nealey
1Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1691, USA.
Abstract:
A study is presented on the effects of smooth nanoparticles on the structure and elastic moduli of a polymer matrix. Structural changes between the unfilled polymer matrix and the nanocomposite give rise to the formation of a glassy layer that surrounds the nanoparticles. Results for the effects of particle size and concentration on the local and overall mechanical properties of the polymer are consistent with experimental macroscopic observations. At the molecular level, it is found that dispersed, attractive nanoparticles alter the nonaffine displacement fields that arise in the polymer glass upon deformation, thereby rendering the nanocomposite glass less fragile.
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