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CSIR INVOLVED IN POLYMER NANO COMPOSITES RESEARCH
PHOTO: Lowrie Sharp, PISA Northern lecture co-ordinator chaired the meeting, is seen here with speaker Professor Suprakas Sinha Ray and Horst Seute, who proposed the vote of thanks.
THE CSIR in Pretoria is involved in pioneering research work in the area of new nano-structured materials. Research carried about by Professor Suprakas Sinha Ray, of the National Centre for Nano-structured Materials at the CSIR, is focusing on the introduction of nano additives and fillers.
At a recent PISA lecture function at the CSIR campus, Prof Sinha Ray gave an outline of the research work. He explained the importance of introducing additives and fillers into polymer matrices when preparing advanced plastics with a balance of properties.
The current use of nano-fillers pushes this strategy to the next level by exploiting the advantages that nanometre-size particulates offer compared with conventional fillers such as huge interfacial area per volume of particles, large number density of particles-per-particle volume, particle-particle co-relation arising at low volume fraction, he said.
Discussing the value of polymer nanocomposites technology, Prof Sinha Ray explained that it’s about more than the mechanical enhancement of the resin or the direct replacement of current filler or blend technology. Rather, its importance comes from providing value-added properties not present in the neat resin, without sacrificing the resin’s inherent processability and mechanical properties, or by adding excessive weight.
The meeting was concluded with a tour of the nanotechnology department.
www.csir.co.za
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