The review renders a short background on the research work carried out on epoxy clay nanocomposites Clays are one of the ideal nano reinforcements for polymers because of their high intercalation chemistry and aspect ratio Epoxy clay nanocomposites are finding vast applications in various industries like aerospace, defense, automobile, etc The physical and chemical properties of the epoxy systems are influenced by the processing techniques, clay modifier and curing agents used for the preparation of nanocomposites The clay morphology (intercalation/exfoliation) of the nanocomposites is also depended on the above parameters So the emphasis of the present work is to highlight these parameters on morphology and the final mechanical, thermal and barrier properties of the nanocomposites The proposed applications of the epoxy clay nanocomposites are also discussed

Epoxy clay nanocomposites ― processing, properties and applications: A review

Energy harvesting technologies have been explored by researchers for more than two decades as an alternative to conventional power sources (e.g. batteries) for small-sized and low-power electronic devices. The limited life-time and necessity for periodic recharging or replacement of batteries has been a consistent issue in portable, remote, and implantable devices. Ambient energy can usually be found in the form of solar energy, thermal energy, and vibration energy. Amongst these energy sources, vibration energy presents a persistent presence in nature and manmade structures. Various materials and transduction mechanisms have the ability to convert vibratory energy to useful electrical energy, such as piezoelectric, electromagnetic, and electrostatic generators. Piezoelectric transducers, with their inherent electromechanical coupling and high power density compared to electromagnetic and electrostatic transducers, have been widely explored to generate power from vibration energy sources. A topical review of piezoelectric energy harvesting methods was carried out and published in this journal by the authors in 2007. Since 2007, countless researchers have introduced novel materials, transduction mechanisms, electrical circuits, and analytical models to improve various aspects of piezoelectric energy harvesting devices. Additionally, many researchers have also reported novel applications of piezoelectric energy harvesting technology in the past decade. While the body of literature in the field of piezoelectric energy harvesting has grown significantly since 2007, this paper presents an update to the authors' previous review paper by summarizing the notable developments in the field of piezoelectric energy harvesting through the past decade.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-665X/ab36e4/pdf

A review of energy harvesting using piezoelectric materials: state-of-the-art a decade later (2008–2018)

Polymer nanocomposites from modified clays: Recent advances and challenges

Polymeric microcomponents are widely used in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and lab-on-a-chip devices, but they suffer from the lack of complex motion, effective addressability and precise shape control To address these needs, we fabricated polymeric nanocomposite microactuators driven by programmable heterogeneous magnetic anisotropy Spatially modulated photopatterning was applied in a shape-independent manner to microactuator components by successive confinement of self-assembled magnetic nanoparticles in a fixed polymer matrix By freely programming the rotational axis of each component, we demonstrate that the polymeric microactuators can undergo predesigned, complex two- and three-dimensional motion

Programming magnetic anisotropy in polymeric microactuators.

Nanoindentation in polymer nanocomposites

Tribological behaviour of clay – thermoset polyester nanocomposites

Sliding wear performance of polyamide 6–clay nanocomposites in water

Polymer nanocomposites are particle-filled polymers in which at least one dimension of the dispersed particles is in the nanometer range. Dispersing nanosize particles in a polymer matrix induces superior mechanical properties compared to traditional macro fillers. Nanolevel reinforcement also affects the tribological properties and needs to be clearly understood before using in practical applications. Friction and wear characteristics of Nylon 6 nanocomposites under dry sliding conditions are reported in this paper. Nylon 6 with 5% organoclay was prepared by melt intercalation technique. The tensile behaviour is evaluated according to ASTM standards. A pin-on-disc type tribometer is used for evaluating the friction and wear behaviour. It is found that the Nylon 6 nanocomposites have superior tribological properties than unfilled polymer. Formation of uniform tenacious transfer layer by Nylon 6 nanocomposite on the counterface contributes to the reduction in coefficient of friction and specific wear rate. Nylon Nancomposites exhibited high wear resistance compared with the neat Nylon.

R. Gnanamoorthy

Papers

Tribological behaviour of clay – thermoset polyester nanocomposites

Sliding wear performance of polyamide 6–clay nanocomposites in water

Effect of nanoclay reinforcement on tensile and tribo behaviour of Nylon 6

Impact force of low velocity liquid droplets measured using piezoelectric PVDF film

Effect of rotational speed on the performance of unreinforced and glass fiber reinforced Nylon 6 spur gears