potential of polymer-clay nanocomposite as barrier materials.
Early in the development of polymer-clay nanocomposites it was recognized that, due to the platy morphology of the smectic nanoparticles, the gas permeability of the composite would be altered considerably from that of the pure polymer.
This improved barrier has major applications potential in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
These composites have the additional advantage of maintaining clarity of display of packaged foods or medicines.
The fundamental origin of the barrier properties exhibited by polymer-clay nanocomposites appears to derive largely from the physical morphology of the nanocomposite, but in some notable cases, this cannot be explained by the physical barrier of the nanoparticles.