Fracture of unsaturated polyester and the limitation of layered silicates

In this work, we explain why the incorporation of organically modified nano‐clay into unsaturated polyester resins, unlike epoxy, does not improve their fracture toughness despite continuing aggressive research activities based on this approach. The mechanism behind this phenomenon is explored by studying the effect of mixing method on improving the degree of exfoliation in simple nanocomposites and its final effect on fracture behaviour....