Effect of platelet dispersion on the load transfer efficiency in nanoclay composites

Load transfer efficiency of nanoclay platelets in a polymer matrix was investigated. Both tactoid nanocomposites and uniformly dispersed nanocomposites were considered. The unit Cell suitable for modeling the load transfer from the surrounding matrix to nanoclay platelets using a shear lag model was discussed. The load transfer efficiency in the nanocomposite was characterized by the effective length of the platelet carrying the saturated stress. For tactoid nanocomposites the platelets were held together in Clusters by the ionic bond which was simulated using an elastic interphase with a low shear stiffness. It was demonstrated that well-dispersed platelets in the polymer matrix can significantly enhance the load transfer efficiency.