Dispersion of nano-sized hydrophilic silica particles into various hydrophobic polymer networks

Dispersion of fine silica particles with hydrophilic surfaces to the hydrophobic polymer network has been investigated. Strength-controlled agglomerates of silica particles with 190 nm diameter were prepared, and they were blended with some polymers in an intensive mixer. Through the shear breakdown of the silica agglomerates in the kneaded polymer melts, the isolated primary silica nanoparticles with hydrophilic surfaces were dispersed uniformly into polycarbonate, as well as poly(ethylene-ran-vinylalcohol), polystyrene, and poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-perfluoropropylvinylether) selected as a matrix polymer in the authors' previous studies. Unexpected result was the well dispersion of the hydrophilic silica particles into hydrophobic polymers. Taking the extremely hydrophobic perfluoropolymer as an example, the reason why silica particles can disperse into a hydrophobic polymer was also discussed by comparing the quite short-range (< or = 0.4 nm) attractive interaction energies between silica nanoparticle and polymer melt with that between silica nanoparticles calculated on the assumption that the agglomerate is peeling off at the shear breakdown stage. The main finding of this study is that the attractive silica-perfluoropolymer interaction may exceed the silica-silica interaction under the special condition where the perfluoropolymer chains wind about the silica surfaces in nano-areas (less than 1% of the whole surface area of the silica particle), resulting in the well dispersion of nano-silica into the perfluoropolymer.