Synthesis, characterization, and applications of polyolefin-polyamide micro- and nanofibrillar composites

Abstract

Blending of polyolefins and PAs has been shown to be a good way to make full use of the respective advantages of both thermoplastics [15]. Transforming PE/PA blends into MFC was therefore expected to lead to materials with interesting properties. The first goal of this chapter is to review the research on MFC systems based on PE/PA blends.Intensive research during the last decades revealed the big potential of the polymerbased hybrid composites. In them, a polymer matrix is reinforced by small amounts of layered clay materials, most often from the group of montmorillonites (MMT). Many thermoplastic or even thermoset polymers may be employed as matrix materials. Most of the works on polymer/clay hybrids were performed with polyamides. It seemed, therefore, logical to try to obtain MFC materials with PE matrix in which the reinforcing, in situ obtained PA fibrils were additionally strengthened by nanosized MMT filler. This would be an attempt to combine the strong points of conventional fibrous composites, the LCP and clay-reinforced polymer systems, avoiding some of their most important limitations. Therefore, it is the second goal of this chapter to review the research on such dually reinforced PE/PA microfibrillar systems.