The Organizing Committee intends to provide the scientific community with the opportunity to present their latest results for discussion at a worldwide forum, to create a friendly atmosphere for socializing and strengthening personal ties, to offer young scientists an opportunity to present their work and interact with the community, to enable scientists from East and West to meet and discuss issues of common interest and establish worldwide scientific activities. Scientific and technological presentations and discussions will focus on the theory and practice of particulate filled and reinforced polymers in the areas:

• Preparation and characterization of fillers: Synthesis, grinding technology, particle size and size distribution, shape and aspect ratio, special properties, flame retardants.
• Organic/inorganic hybrids, nanocomposites and other nanostructured materials: Organophilization of clay, structural characterization of composites (particulate structure, tactoids, exfoliation, network), exfoliation and properties, POSS hybrids, carbon nanotubes.
• Properties, structure/property correlations: Dispersion techniques, aggregation, orientation of anisometric particles, anisotropic properties, multicomponent materials (filler-filler combinations, elastomer and filler), deformation and failure, micromechanics.
• Natural fiber reinforced composites: Wood flour filled composites, natural fibers, cellulose plasticization and chemical modification, all cellulose composites, water sensitivity and biodegradability.
• Interfacial interactions: Surface characterization (spectroscopy, IGC, FMC, etc.), surface modification, coupling, adhesion and properties, surface characterization of clays.
• Application of filled polymers: Automotive applications, electronics, biomedical applications and tissue engineering, thin films and coatings, packaging, flame retarded materials.