State-of-the-Art Nanoclay Reinforcement in Green Polymeric Nanocomposite: From Design to New Opportunities

Abstract

Nanoclays are layered aluminosilicate nanostructures. Depending upon the chemical composition and microscopic structure, various nanoclay types have been discovered such as montmorillonite, bentonite, kaolinite, halloysite nanoclay, etc. Nanoclays have been organically modified to develop compatibility with polymers. Polymer/nanoclay nanocomposites have prompted significant breakthroughs in the field of nanocomposite technology. Green nanocomposites form an important class of nanomaterials using naturally derived degradable materials as matrix/nanofiller. This review essentially deliberates the fundamentals and effect of nanoclay reinforcements in the green polymer matrices. Naturally derived polymers such as cellulose, starch, natural rubber, poly(lactic acid), etc. have been employed in these nanocomposites. Green polymer/nanoclay nanocomposites have been fabricated using various feasible fabrication approaches such as the solution route, melt processing, in situ polymerization, and others. The significance of the structure-property relationships in these nanomaterials, essential to attain the desired features, has been presented. Green polymer/nanoclay nanocomposites are light weight, inexpensiveness, ecofriendly, have a low cost, and enhanced indispensable physical properties. Consequently, the green polymer/nanoclay nanocomposites have found applications towards sustainability uses, packaging, membranes, and biomedical (tissue engineering, drug delivery, wound healing) sectors. However, thorough research efforts are desirable to extend the utility of the green polymer/nanoclay nanocomposites in future technological sectors.

Elastomer Nanocomposites: Effect of Filler–Matrix and Filler–Filler Interactions

“…Complete exfoliation is the ideal case for the physical performance of the resulting composite. Most of the recent studies carried out on composites based on natural rubber show that organoclays display exfoliated structures with well dispersed layers in the host matrix and interfacial interactions with the polymer chains [91][92][93][94][95].…”

Mg–Al LDH nanosheets as a nanotechnological tool in agriculture: an exploratory toxicity evaluation study

“…25 Moreover, between their layers, it is possible to find entrapped ions that can be replaced with other charged ions/molecules to modify the physicochemical properties of nanoclays. 26 LDH nanosheets are a type of nanoclay commonly described as a hydrotalcite-like structure composed of positively charged metal oxide (brucite-like) layers and interlayer sections of anions and solvation molecules. 27 In generic terms, they can be denoted as [M 2+ 1− x M 3+ x (OH) 2 ] x + [A x / n ] n − · z H 2 O, where M 2+ is a divalent metal cation ( e.g.…”

Chemical and Mechanical Characterization of Unprecedented Transparent Epoxy–Nanomica Composites—New Model Insights for Mechanical Properties

“…Polymer-layered silicate nanocomposites have attracted great attention in both the academic and industrial fields, since many important properties can be improved by design, introducing a small amount of nanosized clay particles (environmentally friendly fillers) into the polymer matrix. One of the most extensively applied strategies to achieve it is the modification of the clay with organic molecules so that the clay surface becomes organophilic [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ].…”