Three-dimensional fillers nanoparticles

Abstract This chapter describes the influence of three-dimensional nanofillers used in elastomers on the nonlinear viscoelastic properties. In particular, this part focuses and investigates the most important three-dimensional nanoparticles, which are used to produce rubber nanocomposites. The rheological and the dynamic mechanical properties of elastomeric polymers, reinforced with spherical nanoparticles, like POSS, titanium dioxide and nanosdica, were described. These (3D) nanofillers in are used polymeric matrices, to create new, improved rubber nanocomposites, and these affect many of the system s parameters (mechanical, chemical, physical) in comparison with conventional composites. The distribution of the nanosized fillers and interaction between nanofUler-nanofiUer and nanofiller-matrix, in nanocomposite systems, is crucial for understanding their behavior under dynamic-mechanical conditions. 

Figure 1 presents the typical geometries of the nanodimensional fillers which are commonly used to modify the elastomeric matrix [5], Nanoparticles possess many shapes and sizes (Fig. 1), but primarily they have three simple geometric forms sphere, cylinder and plate type. Three-dimensional nanofillers (3D) are relatively equiaxed particles, smaller than 100 nm (often below 50 nm [6]), e.g. nano SiOa, Ti02. These nanoparticles are described in the Sects. 2.2-2.4. Sometimes in the literature, the term 3D nanofillers (spherical) is described as a zero-dimensional (OD) system, but actually OD nanofillers are represented by POSS molecules, fullerenes, crystals or quantum dots [6]. What s more, very often the term physical form of these nanoparticles is referred to as agglomerates . The dispersion of particles from agglomerates to nanoparticles seems to be a big challenge to all... 

There is a wide variety of both synthetic and natural crystalline fillers that are able, under specific conditions, to influence the properties of PP. In PP nanocomposites, particles are dispersed on the nano-scale. " The incorporation of one-, two- and three-dimensional nanoparticles, e.g. layered clays, nanotubes, nanofibres, metal-containing nanoparticles, carbon black, etc. is used to prepare nanocomposite fibres. However, the preparation of nanofilled fibres offers several possibilities, such as the creation of nanocomposite fibres by dispersing of nanoparticles into polymer solutions, the polymer melt blending of nanoparticles, in situ prepared nanoparticles within a polymeric substrate (e.g. PP/silica nanocomposites prepared in situ via sol-gel reaction), " the intercalative polymerization of the monomer. 

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