Page 23 - Polymer-based Nanocomposites for Energy and Environmental Applications

2 Polymer-based Nanocomposites for Energy and Environmental Applications

Particle Fiber Flake Laminar Filled
composite composite composite composite composite
Fig. 1.1 Different common forms of composites.

Catalyst Transportation Environmental
technology systems protection

PNCS
Information application Energy
technology application
fields

Radiation
Sensitive
instrument absorption Safety features
mechanisms

Fig. 1.2 PNC application fields.

thermoplastic polymers have different types of bonds such as strong dipole-dipole
interactions, hydrogen bonding (e.g., nylon), weak van der Waals forces (e.g., poly-
ethylene), and aromatic rings (e.g., polystyrene) [11].
Regarding to the transition temperature, these polymers are divided in two groups
including amorphous and crystalline. A distinct feature is rapid modulus decrease
that occurs in the amorphous thermoplastics above the glass transition temperature
following liquid state. Thus, the amorphous thermoplastics are normally manipulated
above the glass transition temperature. Crystalline thermoplastics or semicrystalline
thermoplastics have different range of crystallinity that ranges from 20% to 90%. The
melting temperature of crystalline phase and glass transition temperature of coexisting
amorphous phase is supposed as the bases for processing of thermoplastic polymers.
In these polymers, crystallization occurs rapidly after cooling step, afterward [12].As
an important note, the crystallinity degree of thermoplastic polymers depends on the
cooldown time. This is regarded to time requirement of polymer chains for orderly
pattern organization and vice versa. In addition, either high level temperature or long
dwell time at a specific temperature may change the polymer characteristics such as
mechanical factors [3].