Assessing magnetic nanoparticle aggregation in polymer melts by dynamic magnetic susceptibility measurements

Aggregation of magnetic nanoparticles in polymer melts was assessed using dynamic magnetic susceptibility measurements. Magnetic nanocomposites consisting of polybutadiene/CoFe2O4 and polystyrene/CoFe2O4 mixtures were prepared using different techniques and characterized using dynamic magnetic susceptibility measurements. The presence of nanoparticle aggregates determined using magnetic measurements was confirmed with transmission electron microscopy examinations. The results were in good agreement with predictions from the Flory-Huggins interaction parameters. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.