The performance of reinforced polymers depends not only on the filler characteristics, but also on its dispersion and the interactions formed at the polymer-filler interface. By using a dispersing aid and coupling agents, ultimate performance of composites can be optimised. Today, silanes are widely used as coupling agents, adhesion promoters, but also as a dispersing aid of fillers in polymeric matrices. Valerie Smits, Pierre Chevalier, Damien Deheunynck and Scott Miller of Dow Corning review the effect of silane treatment on the performances of composites and introduce a new family of dispersing aid products.
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Smits et al. (2008) studied this question.