Live Poster Session: Zoom Link
Thursday, July 30th 1:15-2:30pm EDT
Abstract: Polymers and polymer-nanocomposites are ubiquitous in the world of material science. Polymeric materials often exhibit properties that make them ideal for a broad range of applications, from cosmetics, to transportation and healthcare. One of the most important properties for processing polymer materials is the glass transition temperature Tg, above which the polymer has liquid-like behavior. Recent work on “star polymers” shows it is possible to finely tune Tg and rheological properties of polymers by varying the star polymer architecture; star polymers have the same monomeric units as polymers, but have multiple polymeric “arms” radiating from a central core. Here we explore using star polymers as additives in traditional polymer materials as a way to alter the material properties, similar to the common approach of adding micro- or nanoparticles to polymers. We found that the extent at which the arms of the star polymers spread into the polymer matrix plays an important role in changing the relaxation time of the polymer melt, which in turn translates into changes of the glass transition temperatures. By comparing our data with traditional nanoparticle models, we show that we can more strongly alter the glass transition temperature using star polymers that have a “fluffy” star confirmation.
Star_Polymer-Cesar-CastroLive Poster Session: Zoom Link
Thursday, July 30th 1:15-2:30pm EDT