Optimization of Polymer Nanocomposite Properties

A one-stop resource for researchers and developers alike, this book covers a plethora of nanocomposite properties and their enhancement mechanisms. With contributors from industry as well as academia, each chapter elucidates in detail the mechanisms to achieve a certain functionality of the polymer nanocomposite, such as improved biodegradability, increased chemical resistance and tribological performance. Special emphasis is laid on the interdependence of the factors that affect the nanocomposite properties such that readers obtain the information necessary to synthesize the polymer materials according to the requirements of their respective applications.

Vikas Mittal is a polymer engineer at BASF Polymer Research in Ludwigshafen, Germany. He obtained his PhD in 2006 in Polymer and Materials Engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland. Later, he worked as a Materials Scientist in the Active and Intelligent Coatings section of SunChemical in London, UK. His research interests include polymer nanocomposites, novel filler surface modifications, thermal stability enhancements, polymer latexes with functionalized surfaces etc. He has authored over 40 scientific publications, book chapters and patents on these subjects.