Functional Polymer Composites With Nanoclays

Polymer-clay nanocomposites have flame-retardant, antimicrobial, anticorrosion and self-healing properties, they are biocompatible and environmentally benign. Edited by pioneers in the field, this book will explain the great potential of these materials and will bring together the combined physico-chemical, materials science and biological expertise to introduce the reader to the vibrant field of nanoclay materials. This book will provide an essential text for materials and polymers scientists in industry and academia.

Polymer-clay nanocomposites have flame-retardant, antimicrobial, anticorrosion and self-healing properties, they are biocompatible and environmentally benign. Multiple types of clay minerals may be exfoliated or individually dispersed and then used as natural nanoparticle additives of different size and shape for composite formation. Loading polymers with clays increases their strength, however, it is only recently that such composites were prepared with controlled nanoscale organization allowing for the enhancement of their mechanical properties and functionality. Edited by pioneers in the field, this book will explain the great potential of these materials and will bring together the combined physico-chemical, materials science and biological expertise to introduce the reader to the vibrant field of nanoclay materials. This book will provide an essential text for materials and polymers scientists in industry and academia.

This book is part of a two-volume book series that exhaustively reviews the key recent research into nanoclay reinforced polymer composites. This second volume focuses on nanoclay based nanocomposites and bionanocomposites fabrication, characterization and applications. This includes classification of nanoclay, chemical modification and processing techniques of nanocomposites. The book also provides comprehensive information about nanoclay modification and functionalization; modification of nanoclay systems, geological and mineralogical research on clays suitability; bio-nanocomposites based on nanoclays; modelling of mechanical behaviour of halloysite based composites; mechanical and thermal properties of halloysite nanocomposites; the effect of Nanoclays on gas barrier properties of polymers and modified nanocomposites. This book is a valuable reference guide for academics and industrial practitioners alike.

This book details original, theoretical, and important experimental results that use non-routine methodologies often unfamiliar to most readers. It also includes papers on novel applications of more familiar experimental techniques and analyses of composite problems. The book provides comprehensive coverage on the latest developments of research in the ever-expanding area of composite materials and their applications to broad scientific fields spanning physics, chemistry, biology, materials, and more.

This book highlights the most essential advances in nanoclay-based nanocomposites, especially natural fibre-reinforced polymer composites. Readers will find extensive information on nanoclay from preparation to applications, and the characterization techniques needed in order to evaluate the resulting properties of nanoclay-based natural fibre-reinforced polymer composites. Topics covered include the characterization of nano-sized clay, chemical modification, and processing techniques for nanocomposites from nanoclay. The book offers a valuable reference guide for academics and industrial practitioners alike.

The text focuses on the basic issues and also the literature of the past decade. The book provides a broad overview of functional synthetic polymers. Special issues in the text are: Surface functionalization supramolecular polymers, shape memory polymers, foldable polymers, functionalized biopolymers, supercapacitors, photovoltaic issues, lithography, cleaning methods, such as recovery of gold ions olefin/paraffin, separation by polymeric membranes, ultrafiltration membranes, and other related topics.

The book focuses on clay-based micro and nanocomposites with different synthetic polymers and presents their synthesis, characterization and testing. The fields of application of these materials include food packaging, rheological control agents, wastewater treatment, biomedical applications and drug delivery. Keywords: Synthetic Polymer Composites, Nanoclay-based Polymer Nanocomposites, Hectorite, Nontronite-Starch, Reinforcement of Thermoplastics, Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Sonochemical Synthesis, Drug Delivery, Electromagnetic Interference Shielding, Flame Retardancy, Water Treatment.

Clay-Polymer Nanocomposites is a complete summary of the existing knowledge on this topic, from the basic concepts of synthesis and design to their applications in timely topics such as high-performance composites, environment, and energy issues. This book covers many aspects of synthesis such as in- situ polymerization within the interlamellar spacing of the clays or by reaction of pristine or pre-modified clays with reactive polymers and prepolymers. Indeed, nanocomposites can be prepared at industrial scale by melt mixing. Regardless the synthesis method, much is said in this book about the importance of theclay pre-modification step, which is demonstrated to be effective, on many occasions, in obtaining exfoliated nanocomposites. Clay-Polymer Nanocomposites reports the background to numerous characterization methods including solid state NMR, neutron scattering, diffraction and vibrational techniques as well as surface analytical methods, namely XPS, inverse gas chromatography and nitrogen adsorption to probe surface composition, wetting and textural/structural properties. Although not described in dedicated chapters, numerous X-ray diffraction patterns of clay-polymer nanocomposites and reference materials are displayed to account for the effects of intercalation and exfoliations of layered aluminosilicates. Finally, multiscale molecular simulation protocols are presenting for predicting morphologies and properties of nanostructured polymer systems with industrial relevance. As far as applications are concerned, Clay-Polymer Nanocomposites examines structural composites such as clay-epoxy and clay-biopolymers, the use of clay-polymer nanocomposites as reactive nanocomposite fillers, catalytic clay-(conductive) polymers and similar nanocomposites for the uptake of hazardous compounds or for controlled drug release, antibacterial applications, energy storage, and more.