Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 March 2011
Because of their large interfacial area, the presence of nanoplatelets in the polymeric matrix decelerates the process of diffusion of gases through the material. The particles are impermeable barriers to the diffusing molecules, forcing them to follow complicated paths, increasing, thus, the diffusion length. The barrier properties of the nanocomposites depend on the properties of the polymeric matrix, the volume fraction of the nanoplatelets, their aspect ratio, their orientation, and their interactions with the matrix. The mobility of the molecules is hindered by the crystallinity but it is facilitated by the free volume within the material. The size and shape of the free volume holes in the polymer affect, thus, the rate of diffusion. Interactions between the nanoparticles and the matrix may lower the barrier properties because they may increase the free volume in the material. The estimation of free volume in the nanocomposite is important for the proper choice of components and the manufacturing of nanocomposite coatings with optimum barrier properties. Detailed information about the diffusion mechanisms at atomic and molecular levels can be obtained using the approach of free volume.