Rheology of polymer/layered silicate nanocomposites

Over the last few years, polymer/layered silicate (PLS) nanocomposites have been an area of intense academic and industrial research. No matter the measure-journal articles, patents, and industry research and development (R&D) funding-efforts in PLS-nanocomposite have been exponentially growing worldwide for the last ten years. Aside from the understanding in fabrication, characterization, and improved mechanical and other properties, the measurement of rheological properties of PLS-nanocomposites under molten state is crucial to gain fundamental understanding of the processability of these materials. In the case of PLS-nanocomposites, the measurements of rheological properties are also helpful to find out the strength of polymer-layered silicate interactions and the structure-property relationship in nanocomposites. This is because rheological behaviors are strongly influenced by their nanoscale structure and interfacial characteristics. In this article, recent advances in melt-state rheological properties of PLS-nanocomposites are highlighted. To begin this a very brief description of structure and dynamics of PLS-nanocomposites are also described.