Recent Advances in Clay/Polymer Nanocomposites

Abstract

Smectite clays (e.g. montmorillonite), belonging to the structural family called 2:1 phyllosilicates, are the main choice for designing polymer nanocomposites due to their low cost and rich intercalation chemistry allowing them to be chemically modified (organoclays) and to improve the compatibility with the polymer matrix. These hybrid materials, normally called polymeric nanocomposites (PNC), represent a radical alternative to conventional polymer composites and have focused the attention of both academia and industry because of their unexpected properties, and their straightforward synthesis and processing. Such materials on the nanoscale level show significant improvements in mechanical properties, heat distortion temperatures, thermal stability, flame retardancy and enhanced barrier properties. The combination of enhanced properties, weight reduction, and low cost has led to interesting commercial applications such as automotive and packaging, among others. All this justifies the growing interest of both academia and industry in the development of these hybrid materials. In this paper we describe the most significant findings in the clay/polymer nanocomposites field considering three polymer families: elastomers, thermosets and polymers from natural resources or biopolymers.

Enhanced mechanical, thermal and flame retardant properties by combining graphene nanosheets and metal hydroxide nanorods for Acrylonitrile–Butadiene–Styrene copolymer composite

“…Among all the nano-additives, layered nanofillers such as silicate clay (MMT), layered double hydroxide (LDH), and layered salt phosphate, etc., have been proven to impart effective reinforcement and flame retardancy with polymers owing to their lamellar structure and high aspect ratio [2][3][4].…”

Nucleation ability of advanced functional silica/lignin hybrid fillers in polypropylene composites

“…The incorporation of silica into polypropylene matrix is an attractive way to significant improvements in the properties of the composites, e.g., mechanical strength and elastic modulus, thermal stability, chemical resistance, heat and flame resistance, and reduction in gas permeability [9][10][11][12][13]. These properties led to the application of silica/polypropylene composites in various industrial fields, e.g., packaging, automotive, medical, and textile industries [14][15][16].…”

Morphology of polyamide 6 confined into carbon nanotubes

“…In situ intercalative polymerization that guarantees strong polymer-filler interactions was reported * E-mail: mirfray@zut.edu.pl to be only suitable for clay minerals [1]. However, recently, in situ polymerization was also developed for carbon nanotube-based materials [4,5].…”

“…These phenomenona are strongly connected to the type of polymer matrix, specific interactions between polymer and nanofiller as well as specific surface area and chemical character of the nanofiller. In recent years nanostructured polymer composites comprising layered silicate clays have been investigated intensively [1][2][3]. Polyamide/montmoryllonite nanocomposites developed in early 1990s opened the doors to the new and emerging research area, where, using the inherent characteristics of the aluminosilicate layers, such as swelling behavior and cation exchange, the inorganic phase could be evenly dispersed in the polymeric matrix on a nanometer scale, hence, generating strong interactions between the inorganic and organic phases.…”