We have extensive experience of incorporating clays into a range of petroleum derived polymers including polypropylene, polyamide, polyacrylates, polycaprolactone, polyvinylalcohol as well as biopolymers including starch, polylactic acid, chitosan and gelatin.

Clay based polymer nanocomposites offer a unique property profile. The addition of up to 5wt% of well dispersed clay will simultaneously improve the polymer's mechanical and barrier properties, useful attributes for packaging applications, as well as improve their resistance to fire. The increase in mechanical properties also contributes to the light-weighting of components.

Our work also encompasses the incorporation of clays into both stimuli responsive hydrogels and shape memory polymers as well as using these, and similar, materials for the sustained release of pharmaceutical actives and antimicrobial species.

This provides

• improvements in product lifetime
• reduced transport costs due to the lightweighting of components
• cost savings due to reduced requirement for fire retardants
• use of existing materials in new applications