Polyolefin-Based Nanocomposite Blends

While most of the literature cited above deals with composites containing nanoclays, nanosilica has also been used as a reinforcing agent, especially in polyolefin-based systems. Yang et al. [40] studied PP/EPDM/silica composites at various compositions, up to 40 wt% 

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KuQa, T, Srivastava, S. K., Bhowmick, A. K, and Saxena, A. K. 2008. Thermoplastic polyolefin based polymer-blend-layered double hydroxide nanocomposites. Composites Science and Technology 68 3234-3239. 

Ternary nanocomposites contain three components therefore, coimtless combinahons of materials and compositions are encountered in the literature and in practice. Polyolefins are almost always encoimtered as a component in nanocomposite blends, being the matrix, the dispersed phase, or both. Generally, semicrystalline thermoplastics such as polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) are very popular as the matrix component, while the dispersed phase consists of either another thermoplashc [15-17] or an elastomer [5,18-23]. Polyolefin-based thermoplashc elastomers, such as ethylene/propylene rubber, and other ethylene-based... 

Blending and compositing have been successfully used in starch-based materials. Starch was initially used a fillers blended with various polymers, especially with polyolefin. Blending starch with biodegradable polymers has attracted more and more attention. The interest in new nanoscale fillers has rapidly grown since it was discovered that a nanostructure could be built from a polymer and a layered nanoclay. These new nanocomposites show dramatic improvement in mechanical properties with low filler content. Cellulose is the major substance obtained from vegetable fibers, and applications for cellulose fiber-reinforced polymers have again come to the forefront with the focus on renewable feedstocks. Hydrophilic cellulose fibers are very compatible with most natural polymers. 

In the following paragraphs, a short review of the literature reports on polyolefin nanocomposites prepared by solution blending will be made. Attention will be mainly paid to composites based on polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). However other polymer matrixes, such as olefin copolymers, including functionalized PE and PP, will also be considered shortly. 

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