Sui Tan, Baimpas Nikolaos, Dolbnya Igor P, Prisacariu Cristina, Korsunsky Alexander M
Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK.
Diamond Light Source, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK.
Nat Commun. 2015 Mar 11;6:6583. doi: 10.1038/ncomms7583.
Thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers enjoy an exceptionally wide range of applications due to their remarkable versatility. These block co-polymers are used here as an example of a structurally inhomogeneous composite containing nano-scale gradients, whose internal strain differs depending on the length scale of consideration. Here we present a combined experimental and modelling approach to the hierarchical characterization of block co-polymer deformation. Synchrotron-based small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering and radiography are used for strain evaluation across the scales. Transmission electron microscopy image-based finite element modelling and fast Fourier transform analysis are used to develop a multi-phase numerical model that achieves agreement with the combined experimental data using a minimal number of adjustable structural parameters. The results highlight the importance of fuzzy interfaces, that is, regions of nanometre-scale structure and property gradients, in determining the mechanical properties of hierarchical composites across the scales.
热塑性聚氨酯弹性体因其卓越的多功能性而拥有极为广泛的应用范围。这些嵌段共聚物在此用作包含纳米级梯度的结构不均匀复合材料的示例，其内部应变根据所考虑的长度尺度而有所不同。在此，我们提出一种结合实验和建模的方法，用于对嵌段共聚物变形进行层次化表征。基于同步加速器的小角和广角X射线散射以及射线照相术用于跨尺度的应变评估。基于透射电子显微镜图像的有限元建模和快速傅里叶变换分析用于开发一个多相数值模型，该模型使用最少数量的可调结构参数就能与综合实验数据达成一致。结果突出了模糊界面（即纳米级结构和性能梯度区域）在确定跨尺度层次复合材料力学性能方面的重要性。
