Nanocomposites

Nanocomposites are composite materials where one of the constituents has dimensions in the range of 1- 100 nm. Polymers containing nano-scale additives have drawn significant interest in research organisations and industry sectors in recent years as they potentially improve performance and multi-function capabilities of matrix materials by using only a relatively small amount of reinforcement.

Through a number of collaborative research programs, ACS Australia staff have built up a significant body of experience and knowledge in the field, from processing to implementation. Technical issues such as compatibility, nanostructures and particle dispersion in polymer matrix have been considerably investigated and processing approaches have been developed. Various nanocomposites were investigated, including nanoclay/DGEBA, nano-sized Alumina/DGEBA and nanoclay/PVDF. Another project investigated the use of carbon nanotubes.