Growing concerns associated with global warming and the depletion of oil reserves have motivated significant research in support of sustainable polymers systems. In this thesis, biobased and biodegradable polymer blends and nanocomposites were created using a novel processing method, solid-state shear pulverization (SSSP). This process utilizes a modified twin-screw extruder...
Over the past decade and a half, there has been considerable interest in the effect confinement and interfaces have on the properties of glass forming materials. With the emergence of nanotechnology, some glass formers, in particular polymeric glass formers, will be used at increasingly smaller length scales. An understanding of...