Liquid crystalline polymer/nanoplatelet nanocomposites

Liquid crystalline polymers (LCP) are widely used to replace materials such as ceramics, metals, compounds, and other plastics due to its excellent mechanical, optics, thermal properties, resistance to chemicals, weather, radiation, and fire. Incremental and radical innovations in Liquid crystalline polymer require compounding with other materials to achieve the desired properties. 2D materials such as graphene and semiconductor nanoplatelets exhibit attractive characteristics, including high electrical and thermal conductivities, high mechanical properties, and high specific surface area; ideal attributes for an additive to expand liquid crystalline polymer potential. A further advantage of using nanoplatelets is that it can be added in a lower amount than the conventional fillers. When nanocomposites are formed, their properties are generally different from those of the starting materials. Liquid crystalline polymers, when mixed with nanoplatelets, can generally decrease viscosity, and therefore increase its processability and application possibilities. In this context, this chapter will be addressed to the main aspects related to the preparation, properties, and applications at the liquid crystalline/nanoplatelets nanocomposites.