Single polymer microcomposites

The quantitative assessment of nanocomposite formation is quite a challenge. The terms generally used, such as tactoid (= microcomposites), intercalated, and exfoliated, are rather oversimplifying models for some typical characteristics of different morphologies. The intercalation of silicate structures by polymer chains, the delamination of sihcate layers, the mixing of the various compounds, and the distribution of particles or single layers in the matrix are mechanisms that are... 

Polymer/mbber nanocomposites exhibit enhanced mechanical, thermal stability, toughness, stiffness, and gas-barrier properties compared to those of conventional composites at same filler volume fraction [11-15]. The interaction between the filler and polymer matrix of nanocomposites at the nanometer scale enables the formation of molecular bridges in the polymer matrix. This is the basis for the enhanced mechanical properties of nanocomposite as compared to conventional microcomposites [16, 17]. Nanocomposites containing hybrid fillers add a new dimension to the above enhanced properties. These composites show more advantages to composites containing single filler as the property of the hybrid filler composite depends upon the combined effect of individual filler. The nonlinear viscoelastic behavior of nanocomposites can be influenced differently by hybrid fillers than single filler. 

A quantitative analysis of thermally activated surfactant dynamics was undertaken on organically modified magadiite with matching headgroups of the spin-labeled surfactants and majority surfactants. In organodays in the absence of the polymer and in microcomposites with PS and ammonium surfactants, bimodal dynamics was observed, which lead to instabilities in this analysis and difficulties in interpretation. In contrast, spectra of nanocomposites formed with poly (s-caprolactone) (PCL) and spectra of both PS and PCL composites with phosphonium surfactants could be analyzed to a good approximation in terms a single rotational correlation time. 

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