Polymer Nanocomposites 2018

Polymer nanocomposites are hybrid inorganic-organic materials that represent a fast expanding area of research, either basic or applied with unique and promising physical properties. They are materials mixed at the nanometer scale, that combine the best properties of each of the components, often unknown in the constituent materials, with great expectations in terms of advanced applications. Significant effort has been focused on the possibility to deeply control the nanoscale structures via innovative manufacturing approaches. The properties of polymeric nanocomposite depend not only on the properties of their individual components but also on their morphology and interfacial characteristics. Experimental work demonstrated that genrally all types of nanocomposite materials lead to new and improved properties, when compared to their macrocomposite counterparts. It was shown to be significantly improved the electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity of the pristine polymers, as well as the mechanical properties (i.e., strength, modulus, and dimensional stability). Other properties that might be improved are the permeability to gases, water and hydrocarbons, the thermal stability and chemical resistance, in some cases also the surface appearance and optical clarity. Therefore, polymeric nanocomposites promise new applications in many fields such as mechanically reinforced lightweight components, nonlinear optics, battery cathodes and solid state ionics, nanowires, sensors, and many others. Much effort is going on to develop more efficient combinations of new polymers and fillers and to impart multifunctionalities to the novel materials obtained. In this chapter are collected the most recent research in the field of polymeric nanocomposites, with particular emphasis to the role of the functional fillers with respect to the final properties of the materias.