Effect of a silane coupling agent on the optical and the mechanical characteristics of nanodiamond/acrylic resin composites

Nanodiamond (ND) is a good candidate for a filler material to fabricate transparent films. This study explores a characterization of the optical and the mechanical properties of ND dispersed polymer films. An attrition milling method was adapted to break ND aggregates, and a silane coupling agent (3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane) was used to modify the ND surfaces and stabilize the dispersion. Dipentaerylthritol hexaacrylate and pentaerythritol tetraacrylate were used in the polymer matrix, and up to 3 wt.% of ND was added to improve the mechanical properties. Fabricated composites were analyzed and tested using UV-visible spectroscopy for the optical properties and a Micro-Vickers hardness tester and ball-on-disktype friction tester for the mechanical properties. Results show that the transmittance of the ND-added composite increased with decreasing aggregate size. Through the addition of small amounts of NDs, the mechanical properties were greatly improved, the material became 3.5 times as hard, and the wear rate were greatly decreased. Possible mechanisms responsible for the enhancement of the mechanical and the optical properties are discussed.