Effect of melt blending processing on mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposites: a review

Various parameters of a melt blending processing including the extruders' type, processing conditions (barrel temperature, screw speed and screw configuration), shear rate, residence time and distribution in relation to the mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposites were qualitatively reviewed. The tensile, flexural and impact strengths and their moduli of the composites were discussed. It was found that the tensile modulus of the extruded nano-sized fillers-reinforced polymers is highly influenced by these fillers' distribution and their planner orientation in the polymeric matrix. The use of intermeshing co-rotating twin-screw extruders can provide better exfoliated/intercalated nanocomposites' structure with superior mechanical strength when compared to the composites made by the other processing methods. However, it was noticed that the tensile strength of the composite is not substantially affected by changing the melt blending processing parameters.