The role of surface modified TiO2 nanoparticles on the mechanical and thermal properties of CTBN toughened epoxy nanocomposite

Mechanical enhancement of amine‐functionalized TiO2 reinforced polyimine composites

“…The FTIR spectra of TiO 2 MS , amTiO 2 MS and APTMS are shown in Figure (d). The broad band from 3000 to 3600 cm −1 and the peak at 1620 cm −1 in the spectrum of TiO 2 MS indicate the presence of OH groups on the surface of the TiO 2 MS . With OH groups, the surfaces of the TiO 2 MS were active for surface modification.…”

“…However, the enhancement might be highly affected by the dispersion of the filler phase in a polymer matrix. It has been reported that uneven dispersion of the filling particles not only resulted in heterogeneity of the material, but also introduced structural defects caused by the aggregates of the fillers . In general, appropriate processing techniques such as ultrasonication, microfluidics, or application of surfactants can improve dispersion of fillers in polymer matrix …”

“…Wang and coworkers demonstrated that amino functionalization onto ZrO 2 nanoparticles can result in binding highly active hydrophilic functional groups to attenuate aggregation and enhance chemical reactivity between the filler and the matrix . Raghavan and coworkers found that silane coupling agent functionalized TiO 2 nanoparticles were very well dispersed in the epoxy matrix . Wu and coworkers found that surface silanization could decrease the aggregation of nanoparticles…”

“…It has been reported that uneven dispersion of the filling particles not only resulted in heterogeneity of the material, but also introduced structural defects caused by the aggregates of the fillers. [28][29][30] In general, appropriate processing techniques such as ultrasonication, microfluidics, or application of surfactants can improve dispersion of fillers in polymer matrix. [31][32][33][34] In addition to these processing techniques, surface-modification is another effective strategy to achieve even dispersion of the inorganic particles inside a hybrid composite.…”

“…8 Raghavan and coworkers found that silane coupling agent functionalized TiO 2 nanoparticles were very well dispersed in the epoxy matrix. 29 Wu and coworkers found that surface silanization could decrease the aggregation of nanoparticles. 36 Dynamic covalent chemistry deals with reversible covalent reactions that allow the free exchange of molecular components to achieve thermodynamic minimum of the system at equilibrium.…”