Influence of high contents of silver nanoparticles on the physical properties of poly(vinylidene fluoride)

Silver (Ag) nanoparticles were incorporated into poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) up to 90wt% (15.3vol%) via melt mixing. The addition of Ag nanoparticles slightly increased the crystallization temperature and heat of crystallization of PVDF by 1.2C and 5.1J/g at 90wt% loading, respectively. In the thermal degradation behaviors, high contents of Ag nanoparticles more than 50wt% induced a negative effect on the thermal stability of the matrix by decreasing the onset temperature of the degradation as much as 40C. Thermal conductivity was slightly increased with Ag content up to 5wt%, but further addition of Ag induced a notable increase because of the high thermal conductivity of Ag nanoparticles. In the WAXD (Wide Angle X-ray Diffraction) patterns, all the samples presented only -phase crystal regardless of Ag loading. Both tensile strength and elongation at break were decreased from 5wt% loading with increasing Ag content.