This book covers natural and synthetic nanoclays, focusing on the fundamentals of nanoclay-chemistry and applications in advanced technologies. For millennia, clay has been an indispensable part of human civilization, playing an especially fundamental role in modern society in the form of e.g. porcelain, ceramics, bricks, and tiles, as well as being an essential constituent for plastics, paints, paper, rubber, cosmetics, sensors, and medicinal products. The book introduces the reader to nanoclays, most commonly referred to as layered silicates, which take the form of layered or sheet-like structures with nanometer-scale dimensions. It describes the structure and materials properties of both natural and synthetic nanoclays, and covers their applications in diverse areas such as paint formulations, water purification, cosmetics, biomedical applications, and energy storage. Authored by experts with long-standing experience in industry and academic research, this book serves as a useful reference not only for students and academics interested in this exciting new field, but also industrial researchers and R&D managers wishing to bring nanoclay-based advanced products to market.

Autorentext

**Suprakas Sinha Ray is a Chief Research Scientist and Manager of the Centre for Nanostructures and Advanced Materials, DSI-CSIR Nanotechnology Innovation Centre, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa. He received his PhD degree in Physical Chemistry at the University of Calcutta, India in 2001 and was a recipient of the "Sir P. C Ray Research Award" for the best PhD work. Prof. Ray current research focuses on the applications of advanced nanostructured & polymeric materials. He is one of the most active and highly cited authors in the field of polymer nanocomposite materials, and he has recently been rated by Thomson Reuters as being one of the Top 1% most impactful and influential scientists and Top50 high impact chemists.

Prof. Ray is the author of 9 books, co-author of 12 edited books, 32 book chapters on various aspects of polymer-based nanostructured materials & their applications, and author and co-author of 455 articles in high-impact international journals, 30 articles in national and international conference proceedings. He also has 6 patents and 7 new demonstrated technologies shared with colleagues, collaborators and industrial partners to his name. So far, his team has commercialized 19 different products. His honors and awards include South Africa's most Prestigious 2016 National Science and Technology Award (NSTF); Prestigious 2014 CSIR-wide Leadership award; Prestigious 2014 CSIR Human Capital development award; Prestigious 2013 Morand Lambla Awardee (top award in the field of polymer processing worldwide), International Polymer Processing Society, USA. He is also appointed as Extraordinary Professor, University of Pretoria and Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, University of Johannesburg.

Jonathan Tersur Orasugh received his PhD in Polymer Science and Engineering, from the University of Calcutta, India. Currently, he is working as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Department Chemical Sciences, University of Johannesburg and associated as a senior researcher at Centre for Nanostructures and Advanced Materials, DSI-CSIR Nanotechnology Innovation Centre, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa. His research work focuses on the processing and characterization of biopolymer based immiscible polymer blends for biomedical applications, particularly drug delivery and tissue engineering.

Lesego Tabea Temane received her M-Tech in Chemical Engineering from the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. She is a Polymer Characterization Technologist at the Centre for Nanostructures and Advanced Materials, DSI-CSIR Nanotechnology Innovation Centre, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa. Her research focuses on synthesizing, processing, and characterizing advanced nanostructured polymeric materials.