Extending a generic and fast coarse-grained molecular dynamics model to examine the mechanical behavior of grafted polymer nanocomposites

Polymer nanocomposites are an important class of materials for engineering applications due to their high versatility and good mechanical properties combined with low density. By directly attaching the polymer chains to the nanofillers, the so-called grafting, a better load transfer between matrix and filler is achieved, and, in addition, a better dispersion of the fillers is obtained. Both result in enhanced mechanical properties. Since experimental investigations on the nanoscale are extremely challenging, complementary numerical studies are needed to unravel the mechanical behavior of polymer nanocomposites. To this end, molecular dynamics is ideally suited since it captures the microstructure, but is also numerically expensive. Therefore, this contribution presents a fast coarse-grained molecular dynamics model for the investigation of the mechanical behavior of grafted polymer nanocomposites. For this purpose, we extend an existing model by grafting bonds, which allows us to compare the effect of untreated and grafted fillers directly. In particular, we investigate the influence of filler content, grafting degree, and filler size on the stiffness and strength of the polymer (grafted) nanocomposites. We conclude that the grafting bonds have little effect on the stiffness, while the strength is significantly improved compared to the untreated fillers, which is in agreement with the literature. The presented molecular dynamics model for polymer grafted nanocomposites provides the basis for further investigations, particularly of the crucial matrix-filler interphase. In addition, this contribution translates molecular dynamics insights into mechanical properties, which bridges the gap to the engineering scale and thus represents a step towards exploiting the full potential of polymer (grafted) nanocomposites.