Inorganic particle-polymer nanocomposites

A nanocomposite material can be defined as one that consists of two or more different material components, at least one of which has a domension (i.e., length, width, or thickness) below 100 nm. There are many types of nanocomposites presently under research and development including polymer/ inorganic particle, polymer/polymer, metal/ceramic, and inorganic-based nanocomposites. However, the first named one, commonly called polymer nanocomposite (PNC) and defined as the combination of a polymer matrix resin (continuous phase) and inclusions having at least one dimension less than 100 nm, is the only type of nanocomposite to date that has seen any significant commercial activity. 

The wide assortment of polymer systans (polypropylene, poly(methyl methacrylate) [PMMA], polyepoxide, polystyrol, PC, etc.) is used as a polymeric matrix for nanocomposites production (Ray and Okamoto 2003). The most well-known fillers of polymeric matrix are nanoparticles (silica, metal, and other organic and inorganic particles), layered materials (graphite, layered aluminosilicates, and other layered minerals), and fibrous materials (nanofibers and nanotubes) (Thostenson et al. 2005). Nanocomposite polymer materials containing metal or metal oxide particles attract growing interest due to their specific combination of physical and electric properties (Rozenberg and Tenne 2008, Zezin et al. 2010). Nanocomposites on the base of layered materials... 

In practice, an infinite variety of polymer/inorganic particle combinations can be envisaged. This article has attempted to summarize the most important issues to be considered for successful formation of such nanocomposite colloids. The ability to tailor the affinity between the organic and inorganic parts is the key to a happy marriage between these two naturally incompatible compounds. However, despite the considerable advances, excitement, and promise of O/I composite latexes, substantial fundamental research is still necessary to provide a deeper understanding of current synthetic methods, develop new processes, and enable further exploitation of these materials. 

Qiang W, Wang Y, He P et al (2008) Synthesis of asymmetric inorganic/polymer nanocomposite particles via localized substrate surface modification and miniemulsion polymerization. Langmuir 24 606-608... 

The reinforcement of polypropylene and other thermoplastics with inorganic particles such as talc and glass is a common method of material property enhancement. Polymer clay nanocomposites extend this strategy to the nanoscale. The anisometric shape and approximately 1 nm width of the clay platelets dramatically increase the amount of interfacial contact between the clay and the polymer matrix. Thus the clay surface can mediate changes in matrix polymer conformation, crystal structure, and crystal morphology through interfacial mechanisms that are absent in classical polymer composite materials. For these reasons, it is believed that nanocomposite materials with the clay platelets dispersed as isolated, exfoliated platelets are optimal for end-use properties. 

In addition to the numerous physical property enhancements reported for polymer nanocomposites, nanoscale dispersion of the inorganic particles has the potential to provide unique chemical properties, such as self-passivation and self-healing. Figure 3 summarizes the conceptual origin of the self-passivating/self-healing response of nanocomposite materials. 

This chapter focuses on the blends and multilayers of a variety of nanoparticles and conjugated polymers. However, it must be mentioned that there has been a large amount of research in the last two decades on nanocomposites of conventional polymers [19]. Polymer nanocomposites in this context are generally defined as the combination of a polymer matrix resin and inorganic particles that have at least one dimension, i.e., length, width, or thickness, in the nanometre size range. Typical of this class of materials is the nanocomposite which researchers at Toyota Co., discovered in the 1980s polyamide 6... 

Choi, J.H., Jung, C.H., Kim, D.K., Ganesan, R. Radiation-induced grafting of inorganic particles onto polymer backbone a new method to design polymer-based nanocomposite. Nucl. Instrum. Meth. Phys. Res. B 266, 203-206 (2008)... 

Polymer nanocomposite having inorganic particles within nanoscale dimensions have received considerable attention because of their much improved unique properties and numerous potential applications as in automotive, aerospace and construction industry, manufacture of tires and inner tubes. Other industrial rubber goods include various belts, oil seals, gasket and food packing. 

In the large field of nanotechnology, polymer-based nanocomposites have become a prominent area of current research and development for biomedical applications.In principle, nanocomposites are an extreme case of composite materials in which interface interactions between the two phases, the matrix and the reinforcement, are maximized. In the literature, the term nanocomposite is used for polymers with sub-micrometre dispersions. In polymer-based nanocomposites, nanometre sized particles of inorganic or organic materials are homogeneously dispersed as separate particles in a polymer matrix. Researchers have tried a variety of processing techniques to obtain dense polymer nanocomposite films. The incorporation of nanostructures into polymers can generally be done in different ways as indicated below ... 

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