ABSTRACT
Polymer nanocomposites are innovative in their inherent characteristics of "interfaces" between nanofillers and their surrounding polymer matrices. Various models are proposed for such interfaces. A bound polymer model is an excellent concept derived from colloid chemistry. Interfaces are crucial in polymer nanocomposites. Their performance is determined by many different characteristic parameters such as the shape, size, and loading ratio of the nanofillers, inter-filler distance, interfacial morphology, and even mesoscopic structures. Silane couplings are typical bonding states that combine organic polymers with inorganic fillers. A concept of "interaction zones" is proposed based on the fact that interfacial characteristics emerge in the macroscopic performance of polymer nanocomposites, since the fraction that interfaces occupy in the materials is enormous. The shape and dimensions of the nanofiller are evaluated by light scattering or laser diffraction in a liquid and electron microscopy. In particular, the nanofiller in cured polymers is generally evaluated by electron microscopy.
