Hybrid acrylic nanocomposites with excellent transparency and hardness/toughness balance

Abstract

The composite nanofibers were used as reinforcement in acrylic polymer for the overall enhancement of thermo-mechanical properties, adhesion between fibers and matrix, and fracture toughness of the final nanocomposite since acrylic materials lack of this feature. So, a good balance between hardness/toughness and transparency is obtained with the addition of poly (vinyl butyral) (PVB) and titania (TiO2) nanofibers simultaneously and controlling their contents. Specifically, when compared to that of pure acrylic polymer, the fracture toughness of the PMMA nanocomposite apparently increased 55 % with the addition of 3 wt.% titania nanoparticles, while the produced nanocomposite maintained high transmittance above 75–80% in the visible domain. The transmission spectrum modelling of the reinforced fiber materials and hybrid acrylic composites using Mie scattering theory for different particle sizes and particle content is presented. The calculated transmission coefficients versus wavelength are compared with the experimental ones.