Performant Clay/Carbon Nanotube Polymer Nanocomposites

Abstract This contribution aims at reviewing on very recent developments in syntheses, properties and (future) applications of polymer‐based nanocomposites filled with either organoclays and/or carbon nanotubes. Undoubtedly, the key‐challenge remains to reach a high level of nanoparticle dissociation (i.e., either to delaminate the silicate nanoplatelets or to break down the bundles of aggregated carbon nanotubes) and their fine dispersion upon melt blending within the selected polymer matrix. In that context, the in situ polymerization/grafting process as catalyzed directly from the nanofiller (organoclay or carbon nanotube) surface proved highly efficient allowing for the complete destructuration of the native filler aggregates. Dissociated nanoparticles were accordingly recovered, their surface was homogeneously coated/grafted by the in situ grown polymer chains as generated by this so‐called “Polymerization‐filling technique” (PFT). Interestingly enough, such surface‐coated organoclays and/or carbon nanotubes were further added as “masterbatch” in commercial polymeric matrices by twin‐screw extrusion. As a result of the pre‐destructuration of the nanofillers by PFT, it comes out that the resulting polymer nanocomposites displayed much higher thermo‐mechanical properties even with a nanofiller loading as tiny as 1wt%.