(plastemart) -- A research team from the Public
University of Navarre (UPNA) together with the L’Urederra R+D Centre and
Compuestos y Granzas is developing composite PVC materials using nanofillings.
In the project, which includes the production of the nanofilled PVC
composite materials, the research team will synthesize and treat nanoclays and
then insert them into the polymer matrix. Antonio Gil-Bravo, one of the
researchers from UPNA, informed that the primary objective of the project is to
enhance the polymer materials’ photostability properties, which produce
discoloration and decrease the performance of the materials, and eventually
reduce their useful life.
Moreover, the material’s resistance to
ultraviolet radiation can be increased by introducing molecules that can absorb
light radiation. These molecules may be an ionic type, which can be added to the
polymer matrix utilizing a variety of techniques, such as ion-exchange. The
material’s absorption range in the ultraviolet-visible region and
photoresistance properties vary with the option selected, thus every method can
be customized to the two major types of material production applications,
colored products and opaque plastic nanocomposites. In colored products, the
designated color in the final product will decide the type of coloring molecules
utilized. |
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