The effects of the arrangement of Janus nanoparticles on the tensile strength of blend-basedpolymer nanocomposites

In this study, the effects of the arrangement of Janus nanoparticles on the tensile strength of the blend-based polymer nanocomposites were investigated using both experimental and analytical methods. The experimental stage included the evaluation of the effects of the nanoparticle content on the aggregation/agglomeration phenomenon using TEM images. However, the analytical approach was used to study the mechanical properties of the system and also predict its tensile strength considering the effects of the arrangement of Janus nanoparticles, as compatibilizers, at the polymer/polymer interface. It was found that even in those systems containing very low content of Janus nanoparticles (eg, 0.25 wt%), the aggregation/agglomeration phenomenon was inevitable and drastically affected the mechanical properties of the interface region. According to the result, the best compatibilizing performance of Janus nanoparticles was achieved in the case of their monolayer arrangement at the interface. The specific nanoparticles used in this study were first synthesized using a desymmetrization process and then added to the PS/PMMA blend via solution mixing. All of the prepared samples were subjected to the TEM and tensile test, and then, results were then precisely evaluated.