Analysis of interfacial characteristics in polymer nanocomposites via visual particle recognition methodology and micromechanical predictive models

Abstract

This study examines the morphological features of nano-zeolite nanoparticles incorporated into ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene nanocomposites, known for their excellent biocompatibility and significant potential in structural biomedical applications. The analyses involved qualitative assessments and a statistical approach based on visual particle recognition technique. Scanning electron microscopy was adopted for morphological assessments of impact-fractured surfaces. The scanning electron microscopy observations unveiled the improved dispersion of nanoparticles within the polymer matrix following nano-zeolite incorporation. In the quantitative approach, the nanoparticles size and distribution were systematically determined through tailored histograms, utilizing the customized particle recognition strategy applied to images. This analysis yielded average particle sizes for each composite, further used for calculating the effective elastic moduli of nanocomposites by employing a two-fold micromechanics-based homogenization technique, accounting for interfacial effects. The computation of average particle size based on visual measurements substantially improved the accuracy regarding the quantitative analysis of interphase effects on macroscopic properties, marking a departure from the conventional practice of conducting such calculations by relying on unrealistic particle sizes based on their as-received values before compounding with the polymer.