Louisiana Tech University’s chemistry professor, Dr. Yuri Lvov, and endowed chair in micro and nanosystems, T.C. Pipes had presented an application of nanomaterial at the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) 241st symposium.
The material, which is cost-effective and environmentally friendly, can be utilized for enhancing the properties of paints, plastics and other synthetic composite products.
Lvov is the chairman and chief organizer of the Polymer-Clay Nanocomposites Symposium. According to him, the clay nanotubes could be used to reinforce epoxies, plastic, rubber, paints and others materials. The nanotubes are produced from soils and dirt and can be filled with various chemical agents, which can enhance them with antimicrobial or anticorrosion features.
Lvov is the first scientist to identify the capabilities of the clay nanotubes. These materials are available in tons and are non-toxic and less expensive. Researchers can alter the properties of the resulting composites by using the clay nanotubes.
The presentation also included the technology used for polymer doping with a wide range of dispersed clay nanoparticles. Researchers at Louisiana Tech are currently working with tiny clay nanoparticles, which are 50,000 times smaller than a human hair’s thickness.
In addition to Lvov's presentation, Dr. David Mills, Louisiana Tech’s biological science professor and director for the Center for Applied Learning to Yield Scientific Teaching (CATALyST), delivered a presentation on polymetacrylate clay composites that are used in orthopedic implants.
The ACS symposium enabled the researchers to enhance the position of Louisiana Tech among global leaders in the polymer-clay nanocomposites field.