ABSTRACT

Since the 1980s, academic and industrial research has had a growing interest in the processing of polymer/filler nanocomposites due to their excellent barrier, electrical, and mechanical properties, which are conferred by the unique advantages of nanoparticles such as their high surface area, aspect ratio, shape, and size. More recently, the market for lightweight materials which are very present in the industry is oriented toward the development of polymer nanocomposite foams in order to improve the compressive properties, mechanical strength, surface quality, thermal behavior, and dimensional stability of unmodified foams. Moreover, current environmental constraints on the protection of ozone has pushed governments to replace the blowing agents commonly used in the industry, such as chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), with other environmentally friendly agents. For these reasons, supercritical  CO2

5.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................93 5.2 Use of Carbon Dioxide in Supercritical Conditions for Nanocomposite

Foam Preparation ............................................................................................94 5.2.1 Formation Mechanism of Polymer/Nanofiller Foams ........................94 5.2.2 Effect of Foaming Parameters on Foam Morphology ........................95