Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In materials chemistry, surface-initiated reversible deactivation radical polymerisation (SI-RDRP) has emerged as one of the most versatile routes to synthesising inorganic/organic hybrid materials consisting of well-defined polymers. The resultant materials often exhibit a remarkable improvement in bulk material properties even after the addition of very small amounts of inorganic modifiers like clay.
A novel cationic reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agent with the dual purpose of modifying the surface of Laponite clay and controlling the polymerisation of monomer therefrom, was designed and synthesised. Its efficiency to control the polymerisation of styrene was evaluated and confirmed through investigating the molar mass evolution and chain-end functionality.
The surface of Laponite clay was modified with the cationic chain transfer agent (CTA) via ion exchange and polymerisation performed in the presence of a free non-functionalised CTA. The addition of the non-functionalised CTA gave an evenly distributed CTA concentration and allowed the simultaneous growth of surface-attached and free polystyrene (PS). Further analysis of the free and grafted PS using analytical techniques developed and published during the course of this study, indicated that the free and grafted PS chains were undergoing different polymerisation mechanisms. For the second monomer system investigated n-butyl acrylate, it was apparent that the molar mass targeted and the monomer conversions attained had a significant influence on the simultaneous growth of the free and grafted polymer chains. Additional analysis of the grafted polymer chains indicated that secondary reactions dominated in the polymerisation of the surface-attached polymer chains.
A new approach to separating the inorganic/organic hybrid materials into their various components using asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) was described. The results obtained not only gave an indication of the success of the in situ polymerisation reaction, but also provided information on the morphology of the material.
Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was carried out on the polymer-clay nanocomposite samples. The results showed that by adding as little as 3 wt-% of clay to the polymer matrix, there was a remarkable improvement in the thermal stability. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Oppervlakgeïnisieerde omkeerbare deaktiveringsradikaalpolimerisasie (SI-RDRP) is een van die veelsydigste roetes om anorganiese/organiese hibriedmateriale (wat bestaan uit goed-gedefinieerde polimere) te sintetiseer. Die produk toon dikwels ʼn merkwaardige verbetering in die makroskopiese eienskappe – selfs na die toevoeging van klein hoeveelhede anorganiese modifiseerders soos klei.
ʼn Nuwe kationiese omkeerbare addisie-fragmentasie kettingoordrag (RAFT) middel met die tweeledige doel om die modifisering van die oppervlak van Laponite klei en die beheer van die polimerisasie van die monomeer daarvan, is ontwerp en gesintetiseer. Die klei se doeltreffendheid om die polimerisasie van stireen te beheer is geëvalueer en bevestig deur die molêre massa en die funksionele groepe aan die einde van die ketting te ondersoek.
Die oppervlak van Laponite klei is gemodifiseer met die kationiese kettingoordragmiddel (CTA) deur middel van ioonuitruiling en polimerisasie wat uitgevoer word in die teenwoordigheid van ʼn vrye nie-gefunksionaliseerde CTA. Die toevoeging van die nie-gefunksionaliseerde CTA het ʼn eweredig-verspreide konsentrasie CTA teweeggebring en die gelyktydige groei van oppervlak-gebonde en vry polistireen (PS) toegelaat. Verdere ontleding van die vrye- en geënte PS met behulp van analitiese tegnieke wat ontwikkel en gepubliseer is gedurende die verloop van hierdie studie, het aangedui dat die vry- en geënte PS-kettings verskillende polimerisasiemeganismes ondergaan. n-Butielakrilaat is in die tweede monomeer-stelsel ondersoek en dit was duidelik dat die molêre massa wat geteiken is en die geënte polimeerkettings.
ʼn Nuwe benadering tot die skeiding van die anorganiese/organiese hibriedmateriale in hulle onderskeie komponente met behulp van asimmetriese vloeiveld-vloei fraksionering (AF4) is beskryf. Die resultate wat verkry is, het nie net 'n aanduiding gegee van die sukses van die in-situ polimerisasiereaksie nie, maar het ook inligting verskaf oor die morfologie van die materiaal. Termogravimetriese analise (TGA) is uitgevoer op die polimeer-klei nanosaamgestelde monsters. Die resultate het getoon dat daar 'n merkwaardige verbetering in die termiese stabiliteit was na die toevoeging van so min as 3 wt% klei by die polimeermatriks.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/71914 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Chirowodza, Helen |
| Contributors | Pasch, Harald, Hartmann, Patrice C., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Science. Dept. of Chemistry and Polymer Science. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xvii, 124 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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