Polymer nanocomposites have revolutionized the research effort in the field of composites as they lead to the achievement of synergistic effects from the organic and inorganic components of the system and have led to the expansion of the spectrum of application of the commodity polymers to more advanced high end applications. Although a number of successful systems could be achieved, the inorganic filler still could not be optimally dispersed on nanometer scale in non polar polymers. Also, the thermal degradation of the surface modification of the inorganic component disturbs the organic inorganic phase compatibility and hence the resulting composite properties. In recent years, many new techniques have been employed to overcome these problems which include more advanced modification protocols of the inorganic filler, development of more thermally stable surface modification and altogether new synthesis technologies for polyolefin nanocomposites. There has also been a constant need to compare the composite properties with the property models and hence to be able to predict the properties of the similar systems in advance. However, until now, the conventional models developed for conventional micro composites were used, which in no way maps the nanocomposite systems. The recently developed statistical as well as finite element methods focusing the real nanocomposite morphologies have been more helpful for this purpose. Though a tremendous research focus lies on these polymer systems, there is also a need to give some attention to more environmentally friendly nanocomposite systems and to develop methods to achieve proper recycling.
Author(s): Vikas Mittal
Series: Polymer Science and Technology
Publisher: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Year: 2010
Language: English
Pages: viii+445
Preface
1. Polymer Nanocomposites Technology: An Overview
(V Mittal, Institute of Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland), pp. 1-25
2. Advances in Polar Nanocomposites Technology
I J Chin, Polymer Science and Engineering, Division of Nano-Systems Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, Korea), pp. 27-51
3. Polymer/clay Nanocomposites through Emulsion and Suspension Polymerization
(M Paulis & J R Leiza, Institute for Polymer Materials, University of the Basque Country, Spain, pp. 53-100
4. Structure-Property Correlations and Interactions in Polymer/Layered-Silicate Nanocomposites
Z Dominkovics & B Pukanszky, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, and Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary), pp. 101-153
5. Advanced Clay Surface Modification Approaches
(V Mittal, Institute of Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Zurich, Switzerland), pp. 155-174
6. Thermally Stable Polymer Nanocomposites
(C Chen, University of Dayton Research Institute, Dayton, OH;
D. Raghavan, Howard University, Washington, DC), pp. 175-198
7. Polyolefin Nanocomposites through in-situ Polymerization Approach
Chapal Kumar Das, Kaushik Pal and Rathanasamy Rajasekar, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India), pp. 199-247
8. Nanocomposites using Polymerically Modified Clay
(S Su, D Chen, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China;
C A Wilkie, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI.USA, pp. 249-270
9. Understanding Clay Surface Modification and Organic-Inorganic Interfaces
(H Heinz, University of Akron, Akron, USA), pp. 271-291
10. Prediction of Nanocomposite Properties
V Mittal, Institute of Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland), pp. 293-313
11. Recent results in Nano-Biocomposites based on Montmorillonites
(E Pollet and L Averous, University of Strasbourg, Cedex 2, France., pp. 315-354
12. Polyolefin/Carbon Nanotube Composites
(A A Koval’chuk, Russian Academy of Science, N N Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics, Moscow, Russia), pp. 355-378
13. Recycling of Layered Silicate/Polymer Nanocomposites
(I J Chin, Inha University, Incheon, Korea; O H Park, IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, CA. USA), pp. 379-384
14. Barrier Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites
(E Espuche, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France), pp. 385-406
15. Advances in Microscopic Characterization of Polymer Nanocomposites
(N B Matsko, (FELMI), Technical University of Graz, Graz, Austria), pp. 407-429
Index pp.431-445
