Polymer Nanocomposite Foams

Advancements in polymer nanocomposite foams have led to their application in a variety of fields, such as automotive, packaging, and insulation. Employing nanocomposites in foam formation enhances their property profiles, enabling a broader range of uses, from conventional to advanced applications. Since many factors affect the generation of nanostructured foams, a thorough understanding of structure?property relationships in foams is important. Polymer Nanocomposite Foams presents developments in various aspects of nanocomposite foams, providing information on using composite nanotechnology for making functional foams to serve a variety of applications.

Featuring contributions from experts in the field, this book reviews synthesis and processing techniques for preparing poly(methyl methacrylate) nanocomposite foams and discusses strategies for toughening polymer foams. It summarizes the effects of adding nanoclay on polypropylene foaming behavior and describes routes to starch foams for improved performance. The books also reviews progress in achieving high-performance lightweight polymer nanocomposite foams while keeping desired mechanical properties, examines hybrid polyurethane nanocomposite foams, and covers polymer?clay nanocomposite production.

The final chapters present recent advances in the field of carbon nanotube/polymer nanocomposite aerogels and related materials as well as a review of the nanocomposite foams generated from high-performance thermoplastics. Summing up the most recent research developments in the area of polymer nanocomposite foams, this book provides background information for readers new to the field and serves as a reference text for researchers.

Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) (PMMA) Nanocomposite Foams. Nano-Toughening and Micro-Toughening of Polymer Dyntactic Foams. Extrusion of Polypropylene/Clay Nanocomposite Foams. Foams Based on Starch, Bagasse Fibers and Montmorillonite. Processing of Polymer Nanocomposite Foams in Supercritical CO2. Hybrid Polyurethane Nanocomposite Foams. The Use of Montmorillonite Clay in Polymer Nanocomposite Foams. Carbon Nanotube-Polymer Nanocomposite Aerogels and Related Materials: Fabrication and Properties. Nanocomposite Foams from High Performance Thermoplastics.

Vikas Mittal, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Chemical Engineering Department of The Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi. He obtained his Ph.D. in 2006 in polymer and materials engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland. Dr. Mittal then worked as a materials scientist in the Active and Intelligent Coatings section of Sun Chemical in London, and as a polymer engineer at BASF Polymer Research in Ludwigshafen, Germany. His research interests include polymer nanocomposites, novel filler surface modifications, thermal stability enhancements, and polymer latexes with functionalized surfaces, among others. Dr. Mittal has authored more than 50 scientific publications, book chapters, and patents on these subjects.