Redefining Nanocomposite Strength: A Model Considering Starch Aggregation/Agglomeration and Interfacial Stress Transfer Factor Publisher



Zare Y ; Naqvi M ; Arefian M ; Rhee K Y
Source: Industrial Crops and Products Published:2026

Abstract

This study suggests a modeling methodology to estimate the strength of polymer composites reinforced with starch nanoparticles by incorporating interphase characteristics and aggregated/agglomerated starch nanoparticles. Additionally, the interface stress transfer parameter (Sagg) is defined in terms of interphase strength (σi), interphase depth (t), agglomerate radius (Ragg), and interfacial shear strength (τ). The experimentally measured tensile strengths of different samples are compared with the predictions of the proposed models, and Sagg is evaluated under both well-dispersed and agglomerated nanoparticle conditions. The influence of these factors on Sagg and the nanocomposite strength is analyzed to validate the proposed equations. The predictions align well with experimental data when considering starch aggregation/agglomeration, whereas models assuming well-dispersed nanoparticles tend to overestimate the tensile strength of the samples. Specifically, for Ragg = 50 nm and τ = 60 MPa, Sagg increases significantly to 700 MPa, resulting in a 350% enhancement in nanocomposite strength. Conversely, when Ragg = 200 nm and τ = 20 MPa, Sagg decreases to 60 MPa, leading to only a 20% increase in strength. These findings indicate that smaller agglomerate size and higher interfacial shear strength (τ) enhance Sagg and improve nanocomposite strength. This methodology is advantageous to optimize the starch-filled nanocomposites for progressive and multifunctional applications such as food packaging and biomedical engineering. © 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/