Clay Plastic Fantastic

By InfoChem2010-09-01T16:41:00

Source: Yakubov Alim /iStock

Nanotechnology is being applied to plastics to make conductive plastics, scratch resistant plastics and lighter plastics. Now clay could make plastics stronger and more flame retardant say Scientists at the State University of New York, US

Nanotechnology is the study of science at the nanoscale, between 1–100 nanometres – a nanometre is a billionth of a metre and a human red blood cell is over 2000 nm long. Plastics nanotechnology studies how the addition of nanoparticles – small nanoscale sized particles – to plastic can change the properties of the plastic. The tiny particles can fit between polymer strands and alter how the plastics behave.

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