Tailoring Polymer Properties through Modification, Additives, and Reinforcement

Tailoring Polymer Properties through Modification, Additives, and Reinforcement 

The properties of polymers are determined by the nature and composition of the structural units, as well as the molecular architecture. Polymers are most often made from the corresponding monomers. In comparison with developing new monomers and polymerization methods, a less expensive route to tailor-making of polymers is through blending, copolymerization, architecture control during polymerization, post-polymerization chemical modification, and additives. Detailed discussions on such possibilities are available in several reviews [37-42]. Here we will briefly highlight two recent developments in the areas of block copolymers and polymeric nanocomposites. 

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