Dynamic NMR of nano- and microstructured materials

Abstract

The fast technological advancement which took place over the past few decades sustained the development of various categories of advanced polymeric, composite and porous materials, with complex physical and chemical properties determined by their structure and dynamics at nano- and micrometer levels. This brought forth the necessity of combining different methods of analysis, which cover multiple length scales, in order to allow for a comprehensive characterization and a valid prediction of a material's macroscopic behaviour. The purpose of this work was to characterize the structure and dynamics of various types of nano- and micro structured systems, such as silane crosslinked poly(ethylene), cement-in-polymer dispersion with different compositions or model and natural porous media, using a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods that provide relevant information on different length scales of interest. Data processing and interpretation was facilitated by self-made computational procedures and mathematical models. The different subjects approached in this work are briefly presented in Chapter 1 (Introduction) and discussed in detail further on in an order according to the length scale of the motion probed. In Chapter 2 proton NMR wideline spectroscopy is used to obtain information on the phase composition, molecular mobility and domain sizes of crosslinked poly(ethylene) (PE), a polymer commonly used in a broad range of applications, from day-to-day life basic commodities like water and sewage pipes, to insulating coatings for medium and high voltage wires. Due to its industrial importance, this type of PE has been previously characterized using a variety of methods. The novelty brought by this study is the quantitative analysis of the spin diffusion (SD) coefficients and domain sizes of different phases by a dedicated software developed for solving the spin diffusion equations for a lamellar morphology, using as input data extracted from NMR double quantum filtered SD experiments and including a series of bonds for and minimizing uncertainties in the estimation of essential parameters. Recently developed cement-in-polymer dispersions (c/p) with different compositions and cement to polymer ratios are investigated in Chapters 3 and 4, by a vast array of NMR techniques, that probe, on different length scales, the structure of the investigated specimens, as well as the dynamics of water transport inside the materials. Chapter 3 presents the results obtained using multinuclear solid state magic angle spinning NMR to probe, at nanometer level, the structure of cement-in-polymer dispersions . The hydration effects and crystallization of the inorganic matrix are probed by 29Si NMR while the chemical reactions of the organic phase are quantified by 13C cross-polarization; the results are correlated with data offered by other analysis techniques. The study of hydrated c/p is continued in Chapter 4, where proton NMR imaging is employed to obtain information about the microstructural changes which take place upon exposure to water at different temperatures. The water transport in the c/p matrix is monitored on line and the hydration phenomenon, together with information about the physical suffered by the samples are discussed with regard to polymer type, amount and curing conditions. A simple mathematical model of diffusion in a cylindrical system, involving time dependent diffusion coefficients and variable surface concentrations, is used to predict the manner in which the water amount inside the organic/cementitious pastes evolves in time. Further on, the effects of diffusive and advective transport in model and natural porous media are systematically investigated in Chapters 5 and 6. NMR exchange relaxometry is known as a very powerful tool for probing the structure and dynamics of fully or partially hydrated porous systems, but, until know, no information existed on how the effects of slow advective transport - a phenomenon of considerable interest for different branches of science and industry - are reflected in the NMR results. In this work, exchange relaxometry data were obtained from experiments performed on soda lime glass bead packs and quartz sand exposed to unidirectional flow. The complex results were analyzed in terms of an application-oriented mathematical model, yielding insight into the origin of the observed diffusion and flow signatures and opening up the possibility of using inexpensive and portable low field instruments for on site fluid velocity measurements. The thesis is concluded with a set of general remarks which summarize the results, showing that irrespective of the complex material under study, either a daily use plastic, a building material, or a soil specimen, various NMR techniques are readily available to elucidate dynamic phenomena on a wide variety of length scales

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