Production of polymer nanocomposites using peroxides

Abstract

A method and system for forming a polymer nanocomposite. A peroxide-degradable polymer, a clay, and a peroxide are mixed to form a polymer-clay-peroxide mixture. The polymer-clay-peroxide mixture is then heated forming a polymer-clay-peroxide melt containing peroxide radicals. The result is a degradation of the peroxide-degradable polymer within the melt to form smaller molecular weight polymer chains using the peroxide radicals and a diffusion of said polymer chains into the clay within the melt so as to exfoliate the clay to form the polymer nanocomposite having exfoliated clay being randomly dispersed throughout the polymer nanocomposite.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.