Layered Double Hydroxides as Nanofillers of Composites and Nanocomposite Materials Based on Polyethylene

A study is reported on the use of layered double hydroxides (LDH) with the hydrotalcite-type structure as fillers of composites and nanocponposites in a polyethylene matrix. The properties of the LDH are first described, as well as then-preparation procedures. Then the most common methods to prepare the composites and nanocomposites are described and discussed and finally the properties of these compounds, which define their apphcations in different fields (e. g., mechanical, thermal, electric, chemical, etc. properties) are discussed. 

Keywords Properties, layered double hydroxide, hydrotalcite, preparation, characterization 

Since the beginning of the twentieth century with the outcome of the modern plastics industry, there has been a non-stop increase in the use of thermoplastics, more and more demanded by the society because of the every day growing number of applications, specially comodities such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), mostly due to their low cost and easy recychng. Among these materials, those based on PE are probably the most widely demanded and used, due to their availabihty, easy processing and low cost of PE. This is processed at temperatures ranging between 

Visakh P. M and Maria Jose Martinez Morlanes (eds.) Poiyethyiene-Based Blends, Composites and Nanocomposites, (163-200) 2015 Scrivener Publishing LLC 

At a first approach, adding fillers to an organic polymers (both enginnering and comodities) aims to reduce the cost by a decrease in the amoimt of resins used, as originally the materials used as fillers were rather cheaper than the pristine resins. However, the use of fillers as functional components of the composite has become more important in recent years. 

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Layered Double Hydroxides as Nanofillers of Composites and Nanocomposite Materials Based on Polyethylene... 

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