COMPATIBILIZATION OF POLYOLEFIN BLENDS THROUGH CHEMO- AND REGIOSELECTIVE RADICAL RELAY C H FUNCTIONALIZATION
Abstract
Polymer blends are mixtures of two or more individual polymers. Mechanical compounding of polymer blends results in poor material properties due to the high enthalpy of mixing associated with chemically dissimilar polymers. Blend compatibilization lowers the interfacial tension between disparate polymer phases to enable more intimate phase mixing and, thus, realize properties that represent a synergistic combination of the two materials. These hybrid materials present the opportunity to derive unique material properties and/or enhanced multifunctionality from otherwise readily available building blocks. Polyolefins are high-volume, low-cost commodity materials with attractive thermal and mechanical properties. For their ubiquity and utility, however, these hydrocarbons do not interface with other materials, drastically limiting their ability to form polymer blends. We propose to develop chemo- and regioselective C–H functionalization methods that form polyolefin copolymer compatibilizers in situ during the mechanical processing of polyolefin blends. Systematically tuning the density and identity of functionality on polyolefin compatibilizers will result in both a fundamental understanding of structure–reactivity relationships within a biphasic polymer melt and an approach to access a variety of hybrid and multifunctional materials through a universal synthetic method. These advances in chemistry will enable the study of how compatibilizer synthesis in situ drives hierarchical phase behavior and thus dictates the differentiated properties of polymer blends or composites. The fundamental knowledge gained along with the superior materials accessed through the proposed research will provide the AFOSR with new, versatile intellectual and technological capabilities for the construction of next-generation lightweight and multifunctional polymeric materials.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 20, 2023
- Source ID
- FA95502210324
Entities
People
- Frank Leibfarth
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill