Nano-fillers particle forms

Research efforts on filled polymer blends have been more focused on nanopartide-filled systems [42, 43]. One usual observation is the same as those with microscopic fillers - polar nanofillers localize in more polar phases [44—53]. In cases where both phases are polar or nonpolar, the filler particles have been observed to be expelled from both phases in the blend [54—56]. Selective localization of nano-sized partides has been an interesting topic of research. We discuss some of the results here. Gahleitner et al. [57] observed a preferential localization of clay particles in PA6 droplets in PA6/PP blends. Recall that day, espedally montmorillonite, is highly polar in both its pristine and various organically modified forms [58-62]. Similarly, Wang et al. [63] reported selective localization of clay particles in maleic anhydride grafted ethylene-propylene-diene (EPDM-MA) rubber droplets in poly(trimethylene terephthalate)/EPDM-MA blends. Selective localization of fillers other than clay particles has also been reported. Eor instance, Ou and Li [64] observed that toluene diisocyanate modified titania particles selectively localized in PA6 droplets in PP/ PA6/titania blends. 

Up to now, most efforts have been directed towards the preparation of uniformly sized spherical MIP particles in the micrometre range. This is the obvious consequence of the need for this kind of materials as fillers for high-performance chromatographic columns, capillaries for electrophoresis, cartridges for solid-phase extractions and other applications requiring selective stationary phases. Additionally though, strategies for the preparation of other more sophisticated MIP forms, such as membranes, (nano)monoliths, films, micro- and nanostructured surfaces etc. 

New generadon nano scale fillers are challenging the domination of traditional fillers such a as carbon blacks and silica in the rubbery industry. Nanoscaled fillers such as layered sihcates, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers (CNFs), exfoliated graphite, spherical particles and Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS), etc., dispersed as a reinforcing phase in a mbber matrix are emerging as a relatively new form of usefiil material. 

Platy nano-particles, such as nano-clays and micas, have some potentially useful flame retardant effects, and are currently receiving a lot of attention for this application. This topic has recently been reviewed [34, 35]. The other forms of nano-particle do not seem to have the same effectiveness. This subject, which was briefly treated in Chapter 6, is discussed in more detail here, but the earlier chapter should be referred to for details of fire retardant tests, especially the cone calorimeter which is widely used in studies involving nano-plate fillers. 

Figure 1 presents the typical geometries of the nanodimensional fillers which are commonly used to modify the elastomeric matrix [5], Nanoparticles possess many shapes and sizes (Fig. 1), but primarily they have three simple geometric forms sphere, cylinder and plate type. Three-dimensional nanofillers (3D) are relatively equiaxed particles, smaller than 100 nm (often below 50 nm [6]), e.g. nano SiOa, Ti02. These nanoparticles are described in the Sects. 2.2-2.4. Sometimes in the literature, the term 3D nanofillers (spherical) is described as a zero-dimensional (OD) system, but actually OD nanofillers are represented by POSS molecules, fullerenes, crystals or quantum dots [6]. What s more, very often the term physical form of these nanoparticles is referred to as agglomerates . The dispersion of particles from agglomerates to nanoparticles seems to be a big challenge to all... 

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