TABLE OF CONTENTS The main distinction between the rheology of matrix polymer (single-phase system) and of nanocomposites (multiphase systems) is the effect of the flow field on the rheological response. Flow field affects the structure of the whole deformed volume of the sample, as well as the structure of the dispersed nanoparticles (e.g., dispersion, orientation of platelets, flocculation/deflocculation, and so on). The structure of the liquid samples tested is modified in a different way in flow at high and low strains. Because of sensitivity of the structure to the flow conditions, the selected test method should reflect the final use of the data. For example, low-strain testing should be used for material characterisation, but high-strain flow data are useful for simulation and modelling of the flow [18].
Most rheological studies are carried out with polymer/clay nanocomposites in shear and elongation. These investigations have shown that, even at low clay content, the flow is very complex. The rheological responses vary in a wide range of performance that starts with the traditional behaviour of composites or colloidal systems and ends with end-tethered nanocomposites showing quite distinct and unique flow characteristics [2].
Rheology was recently used for characterisation of nanocomposites, but general concepts for the practical application of rheology as a tool for the control of nanocomposites at the stage of their preparation have still not been reported. Researchers agree that rheological measurements provide potentially the most sensitive methods for nanocomposite...
