Polymer clay nanocomposites combine polymers with clay nanoparticles to create materials with unique properties. They have high flame resistance and are stronger and more elastic than regular composites. The choice of clay and polymer is important for maximum benefit. They are used in various industries, including the production of industrial belts and soft drink bottles.
Polymer clay nanocomposites are materials made by synthesizing polymers, such as plastics, with clay nanoparticles. This process produces a material that blends the properties of these two substances in new ways. Nanocomposites have distinct properties that are unique to their composition and the field of nanoscience produces them to make materials more useful. For example, polymers blended with clay nanoparticles dispersed throughout their structure have been shown to have high flame resistance. This development has the potential to improve on existing flame retardant products on the market.
Regular composites are usually made from bulk polymers with the introduction of a second filler material and a third interface material, which helps the first two components of the material bond together. These composites tend, however, to produce weak bonds. In nanoscale polymer clay nanocomposites, the filler material only needs to be 10 to 10% of the total volume of materials. When dispersed evenly throughout the host polymer, it transforms the polymer into its own interfacial component and causes a magnification of the properties of each. Effective design of polymer clay nanocomposites includes careful choices of clays and organic polymers and optimization of the synthesis process to provide maximum benefit.
There are several layered mineral silicates typically used in the production of polymer clay nanocomposites. Some are strictly organic clays, and others are modified or combined organic/inorganic clays, manipulated to produce good nanomaterials. Of the clays that have been phased out by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — such as montmorillonite and bentonite — previous research has yielded knowledge of the results they produce, their effectiveness in reducing gas and oxygen uptake, and their use Approved as drug delivery systems or containers for food and beverages. In its natural state, montmorillonite is hydrophilic, meaning its molecules dissolve easily in water, making it easy to mix with a water-soluble polymer such as vinyl alcohol. When the desired polymer clay nanocomposite includes combination with an insoluble polymer, the modified montmorillonite which has been rendered hydrophobic in the modification could be the choice of clay.
Polymers that have been combined with clays are modified in a number of ways. Their barrier properties are strengthened in impact resistance and mechanically they have more elasticity. Furthermore, polymer clay nanocomposites are not permeable to gases and exhibit increased thermal stability under conditions of high heat. The thermoplastics industry uses polymer clay nanocomposites to strengthen industrial belts and produce polypropylene bags that can support enormous weight without exploding. In a very different application, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a polymer clay nanocomposite thermoplastic resin, is used to make the soft drink bottles you can see on supermarket shelves.
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