Michael - As a founder of several advanced materials companies, I was intrigued by the article.  You are probably aware that there are numerous companies already working in the clay/polymer composite area with products that claim to enhance strength, reduce gas permeability, and can alter numerous other properties.  Of course, the challenge is always to create the ideal "mix" of desired properties while avoiding the negative ones and keeping the economics in line with existing materials.  If you have a specific set of properties for a particular polymeric system that you are seeking, I would be happy to recommend companies and approaches that might work for you.  Keith Blakely, The InVentures Group, Inc.