Theoretical and Experimental Investigations of Energy-Dispersive Cellular Nanostructured Polymeric Materials
Project Leader(s)
UC Santa Barbara
A faceted microphase with 10 nm scale features that is predicted as an equilibrium structure by self-consistent field theory simulations for a melt of A(BA’)5 mikto-polymers. The red phase consisting of hard A and A’ blocks is present at 66% by volume and remains discrete, while the minority blue phase is comprised of B soft blocks and is continuous.
Our project aims to develop new polymer materials with a cellular nanostructure that possess unique combinations of recoverable elasticity, high modulus, high strength and toughness, inspired by the byssal cuticle of the marine mussel. The platform for this work is an unusual block polymer: a “mikto-polymer” produced by coupling homopolymer and diblock copolymer arms into a radial (star-shaped) architecture. The materials we seek are expected to be useful in the fabrication of advanced soldier protection equipment.
Date Completed
