Chaoying Wan - Böcker

Functional, flexible and lightweight products are in high demand for modern technologies ranging from microelectronics to energy storage devices. The majority of polymers are thermal and electrical insulators, which hinder their use in these applications. The conductivity of polymers can be significantly enhanced by the incorporation of conducting inorganic nanoparticles. However, this relies not only on the structure and function of the inorganic particles, but is highly determined by the morphology and dispersion of the nanoparticles, interfacial interactions and fabrication technologies of the composites. This book highlights the synthesis, chemistry and applications of two-dimensional (2D) inorganic nanoplatelets in polymer nanocomposites. Chapters cover technical challenges, such as surface functionalisation, compatibilization, interfacial interaction, dispersion, and manufacturing technologies of the polymer nanocomposites. The book also discusses the applications of these polymer nanocomposites in electronics and energy storage. With contributions from global experts, the book provides a much-needed overview of the field, giving advanced undergraduates, postgraduates and other researchers with a convenient introduction to the topic.

Rubbers are ubiquitous materials that play irreplaceable roles in modern society, from tires, seals, hoses, vibration/noise control, biomedical devices, and stretchable electronics to soft robotics. The traditional rubber manufacturing and vulcanization process is energy-intensive, and the end-of-life rubber products are hard to reuse and recycle due to the permanently crosslinked chemical structures and the variety of processing additives involved. Innovation of sustainable rubber chemistry and technology is urgently needed.This book provides critical reviews of the latest developments in rubber technology, including energy-efficient devulcanization techniques, the dynamic crosslinking chemistry of rubbers, and an understanding of the trade-off between network dynamics and the properties of rubber. Further chapters explore the functionalization and hybridization of fillers and how blends, TPVs, and multiple networks influence the sustainability of rubber. The book concludes with an examination of new developments and real-world applications of rubber in the circular economy.

This book is the first comprehensive collection of electronic aspects of different kinds of elastomer composites, including combinations of synthetic, natural and thermoplastic elastomers with different conducting fillers like metal nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, or graphenes, and many more. It covers elastomer composites, which are useful in electronic applications, including chemical and physical as well as material science aspects. The presented elastomer composites have great potential for solving emerging new material application requirements, for example as flexible and wearable electronics. The book is structured and organized by the rubber/elastomer type: each chapter describes a different elastomer matrix and its composites. While introducing to important fundamentals, it is application-oriented, discussing the current issues and challenges in the field of elastomer composites. This book will thus appeal to researchers and scientists, to engineers and technologists, but also to graduate students, working on elastomer composites, or on electronics engineering with the composites, providing the readers with a sound introduction to the field and solutions to both fundamental and applied problems.