POLYMER NANOCOMPOSITES COMPRISING A POLYMER AND AN EXFOLIATED PARTICULATE MATERIAL DERIVATIZED WITH ORGANO SILANES, ORGANO TITANATES AND ORGANO ZIRCONATES DISPERSED THEREIN AND PROCESS OF PREPARING SAME

摘要

This invention relates to a process of forming a composite material comprising a polymer matrix comprising a polymeric material and dispersed particles selected from the group consisting of platelet or fibrillar particles having average thicknesses of less than 50 ANGSTROM and a maximum thickness of less than about 100 ANGSTROM and fibrils having an average diameter equal to or less than about 200 ANGSTROM and a maximum diameter of about 200 ANGSTROM and having an organo metallic residue species covalently bonded to said particles, said organo metallic species having a moiety which is compatible with a polymer species in the polymer matrix, or said species having a moiety which is covalently bonded to a polymer species in the polymer matrix or a combination thereof, said dispersed particles being present in an amount less than about 60 % by weight of the composite material and to the composite material formed by such process.