Effect of Platelet Dispersion on the Load Transfer Efficiency in Nanoclay Composites

Abstract

Load transfer efficiency of nanoclay platelets in a polymer matrix wasinvestigated. Both tactoid nanocomposites and uniformly dispersed nanocompositeswere considered. The unit cell suitable for modeling the load transfer from thesurrounding matrix to nanoclay platelets using a shear lag model was discussed. Theload transfer efficiency in the nanocomposite was characterized by the effectivelength of the platelet carrying the saturated stress. For tactoid nanocomposites theplatelets were held together in clusters by the ionic bond which was simulated usingan elastic interphase with a low shear stiffness. It was demonstrated thatwelldispersed platelets in the polymer matrix can significantly enhance the load transferefficiency.