(217f) Processing and Design Challenges of Highly Filled Composites

Highly filled composites are densely packed material systems that approach the maximum achievable packing fraction of the solid within the composites. These material systems have found significant applications in aerospace, automotive, construction, cosmetics, marine, electronics and biomedical. Examples of applications that utilize highly filled composites to engineer the next generation of materials include prosthetic, dental, wood-substitute, conductive, coating, and structural composites. The processing of highly filled composites presents several challenges due to the high viscosity and poor interaction between polymer matrix and solid particles. Some of the processing challenges include the inability to achieve a uniformly filled polymer matrix, an acceptable filtration rate, reliable quality measurements, and long-term stability without phase or filler separation. These challenges can be addressed by utilizing a fundamental understanding of material science and processing technologies. Herein, we report some of the key processing and material science challenges for the commercialization and manufacture of highly filled composite systems.