Structure and Properties of Nanocomposites Based on SBS Block Copolymer and Alumina

The addition of inorganic filler into commodity plastics has a long history. Today, polymer composites based on nanosized filler are popular among polymer scientists from academia and industries due to their ability to enhance a number of physical properties. In this work, we investigate the dispersion and reinforcing effect of alumina nanoparticles using a polystyrene-polybutadiene based block copolymer (SBS) and organically modified alumina nanofiller. With the aid of solution casting procedures, polymer composites with good dispersion of nanoparticles could be produced. It has been demonstrated that with suitably coated nanoparticles, polymer composites with optimum dispersion of nanofiller ensuring marked reinforcement effect can be achieved.