ABSTRACT
Gas barrier properties of polymer nanocomposite–based coatings are useful for many technical applications. The gas barrier efficacy of the passive filler–reinforced polymer nanocomposites is strongly dependent on various aspects of the nanofillers, such as aspect ratio, concentration, distribution, and orientation in the polymer matrix. Gas transport through any polymeric film or coating depends on the chemical as well as the physical structure and morphology of the polymer. Gas transmission by the activated diffusion mechanism is affected by temperature, humidity, pressure difference, the molecular size of gases, the viscosity of gases, the type of polymer, and the thickness of the polymeric film or coating. Polymer nanocomposite–based gas barrier coatings can be applied to different substrates, such as textiles and metals, for different purposes. Hybrid organic-inorganic nanocomposite–based high-gas-barrier polymer nanocomposite coatings can be applied by the sol-gel process to introduce the gas barrier property in plastics like polyethylene terephthalate.
