Thermoplastic Nanocomposites

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2019) | Viewed by 14067

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Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organometallici (CNR-ICCOM), Area della Ricerca, Via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Interests: post-polymerization functionalization of polymers; radical reactions as a tool to introduce specific functionalities by controlling macromolecular structure/architecture; nanostructured polymer materials: preparation, study of confinement effects, influence on barrier and flame resistant properties; polymer blends by reactive blending and processing of polymers: reactions at the interface and effects on the morphology stabilization; preparation of micro- and nanocomposites through catalytic and radical polymerization approaches (reactor blending); properties/structure relationships in polymer based materials
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Thermoplastic nanocomposites are a class of materials combining the low density, good processability and low cost of thermoplastic polymeric matrices with the functional properties imparted by dispersed nanostructured fillers. In the last few years, some undeniable and important advances concerning the improvement of mechanical, barrier and thermal properties of such nanomaterials have been achieved by optimizing the morphological and topological structure of composites, by tuning the segregation of nanoparticles in amorphous/crystalline domains or at the interfaces of immiscible polymer blends. At the same time, new and interesting research leanings have been exploited to transfer features of modified nanofillers, used as carriers of peculiar functionalities, to polymer matrices. This is generally aimed at designing polymer hybrids that exhibit the specific viscoelastic behavior of the thermoplastic materials together with optical, electrical, and bioactive characteristics suitable for semiconductor devices and sensing platforms for packaging and biomedical applications.

By considering the current scenario, the Special Issue aims at gathering a compilation of articles, reviews and communications on "Thermoplastic Nanocomposites", which demonstrate the continuous efforts to develop new fundamental knowledges associated to the structural features of these materials by proposing technological innovations in their synthesis, characterization and especially new and advanced applications.

Dr. Elisa Passaglia
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Nanocomposites
  • thermoplastic polymers
  • processing
  • morphology
  • sensors

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 4167 KiB  
Article
Improving the Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Poly(l-lactide) by Forming Nanocomposites with an in Situ Ring-Opening Intermediate of Poly(l-lactide) and Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane
by Xiu-Xiu Lei, Hao Lu, Lei Lu, Hai-Qing Xu, Ying-Guo Zhou and Jun Zou
Nanomaterials 2019, 9(5), 748; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano9050748 - 15 May 2019
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3352
Abstract
In this study, a series of poly(l-lactide) and (3-amino)-propylheptaisobutyl cage silsesquioxane (PLLA-AMPOSS) intermediates were first fabricated using single-arm in situ solution polymerization of LLA monomers and AMPOSS nanoparticles with different contents, 0.02–1.00 mol%. Then, the PLLA-AMPOSS intermediate with 0.5 mol% AMPOSS [...] Read more.
In this study, a series of poly(l-lactide) and (3-amino)-propylheptaisobutyl cage silsesquioxane (PLLA-AMPOSS) intermediates were first fabricated using single-arm in situ solution polymerization of LLA monomers and AMPOSS nanoparticles with different contents, 0.02–1.00 mol%. Then, the PLLA-AMPOSS intermediate with 0.5 mol% AMPOSS was selected as a representative and investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Afterwards, it was added into the pure PLLA with different mass fractions. Finally, the thermal behavior, crystallization kinetics, morphological characteristics, and mechanical properties of the obtained PLLA/PLLA-AMPOSS nanocomposites were carefully measured and investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarizing microscopy (POM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and tensile test. After comparing the PLLA-AMPOSS intermediate and PLLA/AMPOSS blend, the results show that the ring-open polymerization of PLLA-AMPOSS intermediate was successful. The results also show that the existence of PLLA-AMPOSS has a strong influence on the crystallization behavior of PLLA/PLLA-AMPOSS composites, which can be attributed to the heterogeneous nucleation effect of PLLA-AMPOSS. In addition, it was also found from the tensile test results that the addition of the PLLA-AMPOSS nanofiller improved the tensile strength and strain at break of PLLA/PLLA-AMPOSS nanocomposites. All of these results indicate the good nucleating effect of PLLA-AMPOSS and that the AMPOSS disperses well in the PLLA/PLLA-AMPOSS nanocomposites. A conclusion can be drawn that the selective nucleating agent and the combined method of in situ ring-opening polymerization and physical blending are feasible and effective. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermoplastic Nanocomposites)
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21 pages, 4102 KiB  
Article
Versatile Multi-Functional Block Copolymers Made by Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization and Post-Synthetic Modification: Switching from Volatile Organic Compound Sensors to Polymeric Surfactants for Water Rheology Control via Hydrolysis
by Federico Di Sacco, Andrea Pucci and Patrizio Raffa
Nanomaterials 2019, 9(3), 458; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano9030458 - 19 Mar 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3921
Abstract
Novel, multipurpose terpolymers based on styrene (PS), tert-butyl methacrylate (tBMA) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), have been synthesized via Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP). Post-synthetic modification with 1-pyrenemethylamine (AMP) allows non-covalent functionalization of carbon nanotubes, eventually yielding a conductive nanocomposite materials capable of interacting [...] Read more.
Novel, multipurpose terpolymers based on styrene (PS), tert-butyl methacrylate (tBMA) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), have been synthesized via Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP). Post-synthetic modification with 1-pyrenemethylamine (AMP) allows non-covalent functionalization of carbon nanotubes, eventually yielding a conductive nanocomposite materials capable of interacting with different Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) by electrical resistance variation upon exposure. Moreover, facile hydrolysis of the tBMA group yields polyelectrolytic macrosurfactants with remarkable thickening properties for promising applications in water solution, such as Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermoplastic Nanocomposites)
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18 pages, 7605 KiB  
Article
Electrically and Thermally Conductive Low Density Polyethylene-Based Nanocomposites Reinforced by MWCNT or Hybrid MWCNT/Graphene Nanoplatelets with Improved Thermo-Oxidative Stability
by Sandra Paszkiewicz, Anna Szymczyk, Daria Pawlikowska, Jan Subocz, Marek Zenker and Roman Masztak
Nanomaterials 2018, 8(4), 264; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano8040264 - 22 Apr 2018
Cited by 52 | Viewed by 5987
Abstract
In this paper, the electrical and thermal conductivity and morphological behavior of low density polyethylene (LDPE)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) + graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) hybrid nanocomposites (HNCs) have been studied. The distribution of MWCNTs and the hybrid of MWCNTs/GNPs within the polymer matrix has [...] Read more.
In this paper, the electrical and thermal conductivity and morphological behavior of low density polyethylene (LDPE)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) + graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) hybrid nanocomposites (HNCs) have been studied. The distribution of MWCNTs and the hybrid of MWCNTs/GNPs within the polymer matrix has been investigated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the thermal and electrical conductivity of the LDPE-based nanocomposites increased along with the increasing content of carbon nanofillers. However, one could observe greater improvement in the thermal and electrical conductivity when only MWCNTs have been incorporated. Moreover, the improvement in tensile properties and thermal stability has been observed when carbon nanofillers have been mixed with LDPE. At the same time, the increasing content of MWCNTs and MWCNTs/GNPs caused an increase in the melt viscosity with only little effect on phase transition temperatures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermoplastic Nanocomposites)
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