Time-concentration superpositioning principle accounting for reinforcement and dissipation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes filled polystyrene melts

Nanoparticle reinforcement at low and moderately high loadings has been assigned to the hydrodynamic and networking effects, respectively while the conclusions are ambiguous without specifying the “frequency”-dependent polymer dynamics. Herein a unique time-concentration superpositioning (TCS) principle is disclosed for accounting for the hydrodynamic-to-jamming regime transition associated with the apparent liquid-to-solid transition of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) filled polystyrene (PS) melt. This principle is applicable to both reinforcement and dissipation of the composites at different temperatures. It is also testified for the pure filler effect introduced by MWCNTs to the dynamically retarded bulk phase. The new findings may shed light on the creation of rheological models that include the polymer dynamics beyond the conventional studies under the guidance of hydrodynamic and jamming theories. Both reinforcement and dissipation of multi-wall carbon nanotubes filled polystyrene melts at various frequencies and filler concentrations follow a unique time-concentration superpositioning principle, which discloses a hydrodynamic-to-jamming regime transition and sheds a light on solution of the conflicts of the hydrodynamic and filler networking effects in nanocomposites. [Display omitted] •Reinforcement and dissipation of polymer nanocomposites melts follow a unique time-concentration superpositioning principle.•Unified hydrodynamic-to-non-hydrodynamic regime transition are revealed for the nanocomposites and their filler phase.•Temperature influences the strain amplification effect introduced by the filler to the dynamically retarded bulk phase.