How nanocomposites work
Polymer nanocomposites are constructed by dispersing a filler material into nanoparticles that form flat platelets. These platelets are then distributed into a polymer matrix creating multiple parallel layers which force gases to flow through the polymer in a “torturous path”, forming complex barriers to gases and water vapor . As more ortuosity is present in a polymer structure, higher barrier properties will result. The permeability coefficient of polymer films is determined using two factors: diffusion and solubility coefficients:
Effectively, more diffusion of nanoparticles throughout a polymer significantly reduces its permeability. According the Natick Soldier Center of the United States Army, “the degree of dispersion of the nanoparticles within the polymer relates to improvement in mechanical and barrier properties in the resulting nanocomposite films over those of pure polymer films”.
Nanoparticles allow for much lower loading levels than traditional fillers to achieve optimum performance. Usually addition levels of nanofillers are less than 5%, which significantly impact weight reduction of nanocomposite films. This dispersion process results in high aspect ratio and surface area causing higher performance plastics than with conventional fillers (broadly 2003).
Additional nanofillers include carbon nanotubes, graphite platelets, carbon nanofibers, as well as other fillers being investigated such as synthetic clays, natural fibers (hemp or flax), and POSS (polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane). Carbon nanotubes, a more expensive material than nanoclay fillers which are more readily available, offer superb electrical and thermal conductivity properties. The major suppliers for nanoclays are Nanocor and Southern Clay.
There are three common methods used to enhance polymers with nanofillers to produce
Nanocomposites: melt compounding, in-situ polymerization and the solvent method. Melt
compounding - or processing - of the nanofillers into a polymer is done simultaneously when the polymer is being processed through an extruder, injection molder, or other processing machine. The polymer pellets and filler (clay) are pressed together using shear forces to help with exfoliation and dispersion .With in-situ polymerization, the filler is added directly to the liquid monomer during the polymerization stage. Using the solution method, fillers are added to a polymer solution using solvents such as toluene, chloroform and acetonitrile to integrate the polymer and filler molecules. Since the use of solvents is not environmentally-friendly, melt processing and in-situ polymerization are the most widely used methods of nanocomposite production.
Polymer nanocomposites are constructed by dispersing a filler material into nanoparticles that form flat platelets. These platelets are then distributed into a polymer matrix creating multiple parallel layers which force gases to flow through the polymer in a “torturous path”, forming complex barriers to gases and water vapor . As more ortuosity is present in a polymer structure, higher barrier properties will result. The permeability coefficient of polymer films is determined using two factors: diffusion and solubility coefficients: Effectively, more diffusion of nanoparticles throughout a polymer significantly reduces its permeability. According the Natick Soldier Center of the United States Army, “the degree of dispersion of the nanoparticles within the polymer relates to improvement in mechanical and barrier properties in the resulting nanocomposite films over those of pure polymer films”.
Nanoparticles allow for much lower loading levels than traditional fillers to achieve optimum performance. Usually addition levels of nanofillers are less than 5%, which significantly impact weight reduction of nanocomposite films. This dispersion process results in high aspect ratio and surface area causing higher performance plastics than with conventional fillers (broadly 2003).
Additional nanofillers include carbon nanotubes, graphite platelets, carbon nanofibers, as well as other fillers being investigated such as synthetic clays, natural fibers (hemp or flax), and POSS (polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane). Carbon nanotubes, a more expensive material than nanoclay fillers which are more readily available, offer superb electrical and thermal conductivity properties. The major suppliers for nanoclays are Nanocor and Southern Clay.
There are three common methods used to enhance polymers with nanofillers to produce
Nanocomposites: melt compounding, in-situ polymerization and the solvent method. Melt
compounding - or processing - of the nanofillers into a polymer is done simultaneously when the polymer is being processed through an extruder, injection molder, or other processing machine. The polymer pellets and filler (clay) are pressed together using shear forces to help with exfoliation and dispersion .With in-situ polymerization, the filler is added directly to the liquid monomer during the polymerization stage. Using the solution method, fillers are added to a polymer solution using solvents such as toluene, chloroform and acetonitrile to integrate the polymer and filler molecules. Since the use of solvents is not environmentally-friendly, melt processing and in-situ polymerization are the most widely used methods of nanocomposite production.
