Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Materials Technology for Gas Barrier

Recently, high growth potential of barrier materials industry including high performance packing materials was expected with increasing the national income and well-being culture. As high barrier materials, polymer nanocomposites have considerable attractions due to their excellent physical properties compared to conventional composite materials. In general, polymer nanocomposites were consisted of polymer matrix and inorganic fillers, such as layered silicate, carbon nanotubes, and metal- or inorganic nanoparticles. Among these materials, layered silicate which was called as the clay was usually used as nano-fillers because of naturally abundant and most economical and structural properties. Clay-reinforced polymer nanocomposites have various advantages, such as high strength, flammability, gas bather property, abrasion resistance, and low shrinkage and used for automotive and packing materials. Therefore, in this paper, we focused on the need of gas barrier materials and materials-related technologies.