Polymer-Layer Silicate Nanocomposites

Nowadays, some of the material challenges arise from a performance point of view as well as from recycling and biodegradability. Concerning these aspects, the development of polymer layered silicate nanocomposites can provide possible solutions. This study investigates how to obtain polymer layered silicate nanocomposites and their structure-properties relationship. In the first part of the thesis, thermoplastic layered silicates were obtained by extrusion. Different modification methods were tested to observe the intercalation treatment effect on the silicate-modifier interactions. The silicate modification was studied at different silicate/modifier ratios and properties were investigated for obtained nanocomposites with different amounts of modified layered silicate loadings. The obtained nanocomposites presented improved mechanical properties such as toughness, stiffness or a good balance between toughness-stiffness requirements. The new compatibilizer system used to obtain nanocomposites, presented an improvement of 8-20 % in tensile strength, 15-34 % in Young’s modulus, 23-34 % in fatigue tests and 20-58% in degree of crystalline phase. By introducing a rubbery phase as modifier, nanocomposites with a spectacular improvement up to 300 % in impact strength were obtained. In the second part of this study, layered silicate bio-nanomaterials were obtained starting from natural compounds and taking into consideration their biocompatibility properties. These new materials may be used for drug delivery systems and as biomaterials due to their high biocompatible properties, and because they have the advantage of being biodegradable. The intercalation process of natural compounds within silicate platelets was investigated. By uniform dispersing of binary nanohybrids in a collagen matrix, nanocomposites with intercalated lamellar structure were obtained. The modification of layered silicate with the active substance proved to have a good compatibility and biostimulating effect on the growth and development of human dermal fibroblast cells.