Polystyrene-Based Nanocomposites with Different Fillers: Fabrication and Mechanical Properties

The paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the elastic properties of polystyrene-based nanocomposites filled with different types of inclusions: small spherical particles (SiO₂ and Al₂O₃), alumosilicates (montmorillonite, halloysite natural tubules and mica), and carbon nanofillers (carbon black and multi-walled carbon nanotubes). Block samples of composites with different filler concentrations were fabricated by melt technology, and their linear and non-linear elastic properties were studied. The introduction of more rigid particles led to a more profound increase in the elastic modulus of a composite, with the highest rise of about 80% obtained with carbon fillers. Non-linear elastic moduli of composites were shown to be more sensitive to addition of filler particles to the polymer matrix than linear ones. A non-linearity modulus β_s comprising the combination of linear and non-linear elastic moduli of a material demonstrated considerable changes correlating with those of the Young's modulus. The changes in non-linear elasticity of fabricated composites were compared with parameters of bulk non-linear strain waves propagating in them. Variations of wave velocity and decay decrement correlated with the observed enhancement of materials' non-linearity.