ABSTRACT
In the last decade, an increasing number of research groups in academia and industry focused their research efforts on thermoplastic and thermoset polymer-layered silicate, polymer/silica hybrid, and polymer/nanoparticle (metal oxides, nanotubes, etc.) nanocomposites. This considerable scientic and engineering interest has been stimulated by the possibility of the signicant improvements in physical, chemical, mechanical, thermal, and other important properties of nanocomposite materials. The results of these studies, especially on polymer/silicate nanocomposites were summarized and discussed in several reviews [1-6] and books [7-9]. Polymer/silicate systems are a class of organicinorganic hydrides, composed of organic polymer matrix, in which layered silicate particles of nanoscale dimension are embedded owing to which these nanocomposites show enchased mechanical properties [10-14], gas barrier properties [15-18], and improved
CONTENTS
4.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 87 4.2 Functionalization of Polyolens ........................................................................................90