Enhancement of electrostatic charge dissipation properties of polymers by a sustained‐release effect of mesoporous silica nanoparticles

Small molecular surfactant (SMS), used as antistatic agent of polymers, is prone to the wash‐out effects thus reducing its lifetime. To address this issue, the sustained‐release antistatic agent is prepared by encapsulating SMS (HDC‐102 or HDC‐193) into mesoporous silica nanoparticles such as MCM‐41 and is used to modify the antistatic properties of polystyrene (PS). The water‐resistant test is used to evaluate the sustained‐release effect, and the results showed that the HDC‐102/MCM‐41/PS composite retains favorable antistatic properties with the R_s of 6.2 × 10¹¹ after five times washing, while the HDC‐102/PS loses antistatic properties after twice washing. The contact angle measurement demonstrates that the sustained‐release effect is affected by the characteristics of SMS. Moreover, the coefficient of thermal expansion of SMS/PS composites is decreased, and the thermal decomposition temperature is increased with incorporation of MCM‐41. This approach may be used in polymer systems with the other small molecular additives to prolong their lifetime. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.