Simple "kink" model of melt intercalation in polymer-clay nanocomposites.
We propose a simple semiphenomenological model to describe the dynamics of polymer melt intercalation in the gallery between the adjacent clay sheets in polymer-clay nanocomposites. Within this model, the intercalation process is driven by the motion of localized excitations ("kinks") which open up the tip between the clay sheets. These kinks belong to a novel type of solitonlike excitations that appear due to the interplay between the double-well potential of the clay-clay long-range interaction, bending elasticity of the sheets, and external shear force. We find that the kink solutions can exist only if applied shear is sufficiently strong, in a qualitative agreement with experimental data.
Ginzburg
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The Dow Chemical Company, Building 1702, Midland, Michigan 48674, USA.
Gendelman
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Manevitch
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