Elastomer nanocomposites surface modification

In in-situ polymerization, nanoscale particles are dispersed in the monomer or monomer solution, and the resulting mixture is polymerized by standard polymerization methods. This method provides the opportunity to graft the polymer onto the particle surface. Many different types of nanocomposites have been processed by in-situ polymerization. Some examples for in-situ polymerization are polypyrrole nanoparticle/amphiphilic elastomer composites magnetite coated multi-walled carbon nanotube/polypyrrole nanocomposites and polypyrrole/ silver nanocomposites. The key to in-situ polymerization is appropriate dispersion of the filler in the monomer. This often requires modification of the particle surface because, although dispersion is easier in a liquid than in a viscous melt, the settling process is also more rapid. 

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