Nanocomposite Materials Based on High-Performance Polymers

Abstract

The use of high-performance polymers (HPPs) is a crucial factor in the modern field of engineering as a result of its high thermal stability, resistance to chemicals, and mechanical strength. But, their disadvantaged characteristics of low electrical/thermal conductivity, high melt viscosity, low barrier properties and difficulties in processing limit their use in the industrial application. The study focuses on the fabrication, production, and characterisation of nanocomposite systems using HPP matrices with nanoscale fillers. The graphene nanoplatelets, carbon nanotubes, and nano-clays were melt-mixed and solution-casted to evaluate the impact of the quality of dispersion, the interface bonds and the percentage loading of the filler on the enhancement of multi-domain results.

It has been shown through experimental measurements that there are great improvements in tensile strength, modulus, thermal stability, electrical conductivity, and gas-barrier behaviour at an optimal loading of about 3 wt%. The characterisation through mechanical means showed that modulus and strength grew significantly and then fell off at higher loadings as a result of agglomeration. The thermal analysis demonstrated high degradation temperatures and crystal high crystallinity, whereas electrical studies demonstrated an improvement of conductivity by maximum three orders of magnitude. Tortuous diffusion pathways created by the fillers that were well dispersed reduced permeability significantly. The rule of mixtures, Halpin-Tsai and Maxwell-Eucken models modelling strategies were used to prove the trend and explain interphase behaviour. All in all, this paper emphasizes that scalable and cost-effective HPP-based nanocomposites require strategic filler selection, controlled dispersion, and interface engineering. The results provide a firm foundation to the development of multi-purpose materials that would be applicable in the aerospace, electronics, oil and gas and next-generation structural applications.