Physicochemical characterization fillers

As will be demonstrated later, morphology and physicochemical properties of reinforcing fillers are of crucial importance because they directly define their reinforcement ability. Their characterization formerly was based essentially on morphological properties (surface area and structure), but because of the use of silicas as reinforcing filler, there is now a strong need for dispersibility and surface chemistry characterization. 

Inorganic-polymer nanocomposites characterized by exceptional dielectric constant are often called artificial dielectrics . Artificial dielectrics are created when isolated particles become polarized due to the presence of an applied electric field. These novel nanocomposite artificial dielectrics have the potential to posses high dielectric constants (>100) at high frequencies and the low processing temperature associated with polymers. Such a combination of properties is not found in other capacitor materials [180]. Polymer matrices like PMMA, poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), PS, and polyurethane (PU) have been used. Owing to their physicochemical properties, they represent suitable polymer components for embedding nanoscopic functional inorganic fillers (Table 2). 

---