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Toughness and hardness are critical properties of aggregate materials used in concrete, particularly on pavement surfaces and industrial flooring subjected to heavy loads. Toughness is defined as the aggregate's resistance to failure by impact and is measured by the aggregate impact value (AIV). For this, the aggregate impact value test is performed, wherein the impact is delivered by a standard hammer, which falls freely under its own weight onto the aggregates. The aggregates fragment in...
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Stress-Strain Diagram - Brittle Materials01:24

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Brittle materials, including glass, cast iron, and stone, exhibit unique characteristics. They fracture without considerable change in their elongation rate, indicating that their breaking and ultimate strength are equivalent. Such materials also show lower strain levels at the point of rupture. The failure in brittle materials predominantly results from normal stresses, as evidenced by the rupture created along a surface perpendicular to the applied load. These materials do not display...
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Entropy-Driven Ultratough Blends from Brittle Polymers.

Xunan Hou1, Shuai Chen2, J Justin Koh1,3

  • 1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore (NUS), 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117575, Singapore.

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|May 13, 2022
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Entropy-driven polymer blends transform brittle polymers into superductile materials. This discovery utilizes nanoscale cocontinuous structures for enhanced mechanical properties, offering a new strategy for advanced material development.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Polymer Science
  • Physical Chemistry

Background:

  • Polymer blend compatibility often relies on chemical interactions, neglecting entropic effects.
  • Entropy's role in controlling polymer blend phase structure and mechanical properties is underappreciated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of entropy on polymer blend phase behavior and mechanical performance.
  • To demonstrate the potential of entropy-driven blending for creating advanced polymeric materials.

Main Methods:

  • Investigated weakly interacting polymer pairs.
  • Analyzed the formation of nanoscale cocontinuous structures driven by mixing entropy.
  • Evaluated mechanical properties including elongation, strength, and toughness.

Main Results:

  • Mixing entropy favors nanoscale cocontinuous structures in weakly interacting polymer blends.
  • These structures enable large plastic deformations via crazing or shear.
  • Achieved superductile materials (elongation ~146%) with high transparency, strength (~70 MPa), and toughness (~60 MJ/m³).

Conclusions:

  • Entropy is a critical factor controlling polymer blend morphology and mechanical behavior.
  • Entropy-driven blends offer a strategy to develop superductile and robust polymeric materials.
  • This principle has potential applications in biomedicine and electronics.