The kinetics of disorientation of polymer layered silicate nanocomposites following alignment
of the silicate layers by prolonged large amplitude oscillatory shear are examined using linear viscoelastic
measurements. Nanometer thick disks with diameters of 30 nm, 0.3−0.6 μm, and 5 μm dispersed in
polymer matrices exhibit disorientation kinetics that are non-Brownian. The disorientation process exhibits
signatures of aging observed in soft-colloidal glasses and is shown to be independent of temperature,
nanoparticle size, and chemical details, viscoelasticity and molecular weight of the polymeric matrix.
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