Polymer-polymeric Nanocomposites

As the adduced above data have shown, the polymer nanocomposites with three main types of inorganic nanofiller and also polymer-polymeric nanocomposites melt viscosity caimot be described adequately within the fiamework of models, developed for the description of microcomposites melt viscosity. This task can be solved successfully within the framework of the fractal model of viscous liquid flow, if in it the used nanofiller special feature is taken into account correctly. Let us note that unlike microcomposites nanofiller cotents enhancement does not result in melt viscosity increase, but, on the contrary, reduces it. It is obvious, that this aspect is very important from the practical point of view. 

Malamatov, A. Kh., Kozlov, G. V. (2005). The Fractal Model of Polymer-Polymeric Nanocomposites Elasticity. Proceedings of Fourth Intern. Interdisciplinary Symposium Fractals and Apphed Synergetics FaAS-05 . Moscow, Interkontakt Nauka, 119-122. 

In Figure 8.6 the comparison of the dependences of the elasticity modulus E on c obtained experimentally (points) and those calculated according to Equation 8.11 (solid curve) is adduced for the considered polymer-polymeric nanocomposites. As can be seen, this comparison demonstrates good correspondence of theory and experiment (average discrepancy 5.2%), confirming the accuracy of the offered treatment. 

Many different polymers have already been used to synthesize polymer-clay nanocomposites. In this section, an overview of the advances that have been made during the last 10 years in the intercalation and the delamination of organoclay in different polymeric media is given. The discussion mainly covers the work involving thermoset nanocomposites along with a brief discussion about thermoplastic-based nanocomposites. 

There are three general approaches to the synthesis of polymer-clay nanocomposites. In the first approach, a monomer or precursor is mixed with organophilic clay and followed by polymerization. This in situ polymerization technique was first developed by the... 

The rheological properties of insitu polymerized nanocomposites with end-tethered polymer chains were first described by Krisnamoorti and Giannelis [33]. The flow behavior of PCL- and Nylon 6-based nanocomposites differed extremely from that of the corresponding neat matrices, whereas the thermorheological properties of the nanocomposites were entirely determined by the behavior of the matrices [33]. The slope of G (co) and G"(co) versus flxco is much smaller than 2 and 1, respectively. Values of 2 and 1 are expected for linear mono-dispersed polymer melts, and the large deviation, especially in the presence of a very small amount of layered silicate loading, may be due to the formation of a network structure in the molten... 

In the second approach to self-assembly of polymer-silica nanocomposites, polymerizable surfactants are employed both to direct self-assembly into ordered mesophases and to serve as organic monomers which can be subsequently polymerized. For instance, Brinker et al. developed nonionic surfactants incorporating diacy-telene groups which could be polymerized upon irradiation by UV light.68 69 Similarly, poly(thiophene)70 and poly(pyrrole)71 have been successfully integrated into silica nanostructures in this manner. Importantly, this in situ polymerization produces isolated molecular wires, rather than clustered bundles of conductive polymer.70... 

Utracki, L. A., Sepehr, M., and Boccaleri, E. Synthetic, layered nanoparticles for polymeric nanocomposites (PNCs). Polym. Adv. Technol. 2007,18, 1-37. 

Joshi, M. and Butola, B. S., Polymeric nanocomposites—polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) as hybrid nanofiller, J. Macromol. Sci., Polym. Rev. (2004), C44, 389M10. 

Leszczynska, A., Njuguna, J., Pielichowski, K., and Banerjee, J. R. (a) Polymer/montmorillonite nanocomposites with improved thermal properties, Part I Factors influencing thermal stability and mechanisms of thermal stability improvement, Thermochim. Acta (2007), 453, 75-96. (b) Polymer/montmorillonite nanocomposites with improved thermal properties. Part II Thermal stability of montmorillonite nanocomposites based on different polymeric matrixes, Thermochim. Acta (2007), 454, 1-22. 

Recently, new approaches on flame retardancy deal often with nanofillers and in this section some examples of improvements of fire behavior of polymeric foams obtained by use of nanoclays or nanofibers will be shown. Much more details on flame retardancy of polymeric nanocomposite may be found elsewhere as for example in the book edited by A. B. Morgan and C. A. Wilkie105 or in scientific review.106 Polymer nanocomposites have enhanced char formation and showed significant decrease of PHRR and peak of mass loss rate (PMLR). In most cases the carbonaceous char yield was limited to few weight %, due to the low level of clays addition, and consequently the total HRR was not affected significantly. Hence, for polymer nanocomposites alone, where no additional flame-retardant is used, once the nanocomposite ignites, it burns slowly but does not self-extinguish... 

Nanocomposites are already making an impact on the choice and use of polymeric materials. As the dimensions of the particles diminish into the range of a few nanometers, surface area effects dominate, changing fundamentally the interactions between particle and polymer. Often nanocomposites containing less than 5% additive have substantially improved properties with no adverse effects. 

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