The miscibility of polyphenylene ether (PPE) resin with polystyrene (PS) has long been exploited to create engineering resin blends with an attractive balance of properties. While it might be desirable to further improve on these properties by use of nanoclay reinforcement, the processing temperatures of PPE/PS blends are typically much higher than recommended for conventional nanoclay additives treated with organic modifiers such as quaternary amine salts. This webinar will explore an alternative route by preparing concentrates of nanoclay in polystyrene (PS) via emulsion polymerization.

Graphite has attracted attention as a reinforcement for polymers because of its ability to modify electrical conductivity and the mechanical and gas-barrier properties of host polymers, and its potentially lower cost than carbon nanotubes. If graphite can be exfoliated into atomically thin graphene sheets, it is possible to achieve the highest property enhancements at low loadings. However, exfoliation of graphite via conventional composite-manufacturing strategies is challenging.

Polymers and Advanced Polymer Matrix Composites Reinforced with Aligned Carbon Nanotubes, Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes, Nano-Particle Enhanced Polymer Matrix Composites: A New Paradigm in Composite-Structure Design & Engineering, Interphase in Nanocomposites: Science or Fiction, In Situ Nano-Scale Deformation Processes in Modified Polymer Systems, Advances in Polymer Clay Nanocomposites, Developments in IngeoTMPolylactide Nanocomposite/Composite Technology, Sustainable Nanoadditives and Nanocomposites, High-Modulus, Fully Absorbable Orthopedic Repair Composites Based on Hydroxyapatite Nanopa

Carbon nanotubes were identified in 1991, and immediately their application to polymer composites became apparent. This webinar will briefly review the synthesis and nomenclature associated with carbon nanotubes, before describing the properties and underlying science associated with polymer nanocomposites containing carbon nanotubes. Mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties will be discussed. The content of the lecture will derive from recent review articles, journal publications, and industry wide reports.

Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes, known as POSS®, are a diverse class of nanostructured chemicals based upon a silica-like core surrounded with a corona of organic groups. This unique hybrid structure allows POSS to display properties not attained using conventional chemicals. The ceramic core provides extreme rigidity and chemical and thermal stability, while the organic groups allow the POSS to dissolve into and react with the matrix, be it a thermoplastic, thermoset, elastomer, or coating.