Recent Advancement in Chemical Processing of Polymer Composites: A State of Art Review

Polymer composites have emerged as promising materials because of their unique enhanced properties along with potential applications. In this paper an effort has done to review the recent work progress on methodologies to prepare polymer composites using particulate fillers. Generally, thermoplastics like epoxy, polypropylene etc. are used as matrices due to easy availability, economic cost of production. The composites are generally composed of polymer as the matrix material along with one or more reinforcing agents, like metal and non-metal powders, fibers, nanoparticles, or fillers. The combination of these components produces a composite with superior properties like electrical, thermal and mechanical as compared to pure polymer. These composites have been prepared using several methodologies like solution mixing, reactive extrusion, melt mixing etc. Several of the methodologies and effect of fillers on the thermal and mechanical attributes of polymer composites are discussed extensively in this article. It was observed that melt blending is the most economic whereas the solution mixing process is effective during the dispersion of fillers. In addition, the extrusion process helps in preparing more intricate shapes of polymer composite and reactor granule technology provides uniform dispersion of Nano-materials.