SYNERGETIC EFFECT OF STRENGTHENING POLYMER NANOCOMPOSITES

Abstract

According to the cluster model of glassy polymers, in the amorphous state they are natural nanocomposites of two components of a loosely packed matrix and nanoclusters immersed in it, respectively playing the role of a matrix and filler in a natural composite. In this interpretation of the polymer, an important role is played by the dimensional effect of nanoclusters, identical to the specified effect of a nanofiller in an artificial nanocomposite, namely, a decrease in the size of both nanoclusters and dispersed particles leads to a sharp increase in the degree of amplification (modulus of elasticity) of the nanocomposite. In this paper, using parallel and sequential microcomposite models, upper and lower fractal estimates for the elastic modulus of the matrix are obtained and the synergistic effect of strengthening the elastic modulus of the nanocomposite as a whole as a superposition of the amplification effects from inorganic filler and from nanoclusters playing the role of filler of the loosely packed matrix is quantified. The object of research in this work is a packer - a device designed to disconnect two zones of the borehole and isolate the internal space of the production column from the impact of the borehole environment. The tightness of the packages is achieved thanks to sealing elements (SE), for the manufacture of which a composite with the composition is used: a mixture of synthetic butadiene nitrile and hydrogenated butadiene nitrile rubber (BNC + HBNC), vulcanizer, stabilizer, technological additives and copper nanoparticles. For the class of polymers under consideration, a rule has been developed for choosing the most preferred model from the above two micromechanical models at a given temperature. Keywords: oilfield equipment, synergetic effect, cluster model, natural nanocomposite, interfacial region, inter-component adhesion, loosely packed matrix.