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Effective preparation and characterization of montmorillonite/poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐based polyurethane nanocomposites
Author(s) -
Jeong Eun Hwan,
Yang Jie,
Lee Han Sup,
Seo Seung Won,
Baik Du Hyun,
Kim Jeonghan,
Youk Ji Ho
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.27179
Subject(s) - montmorillonite , materials science , nanocomposite , polyurethane , thermal stability , caprolactone , biodegradation , exfoliation joint , polymer chemistry , chemical engineering , polymer , composite material , polymerization , organic chemistry , chemistry , graphene , nanotechnology , engineering
In this study, montmorillonite (MMT)/poly(ϵ‐caprolactone)‐based polyurethane cationomer (MMT/PCL‐PUC) nanocomposites were prepared and their mechanical properties, thermal stability, and biodegradability were investigated. PCL‐PUC has 3 mol % of quaternary ammonium groups in the main chain. The MMT was successfully exfoliated and well dispersed in the PCL‐PUC matrix for up to 7 wt % of MMT. The 3 mol % of quaternary ammonium groups facilitated exfoliation of MMT. The 1 wt % MMT/PCL‐PUC nanocomposites showed enhanced tensile properties relative to the pure PCL‐PU. As the MMT content increased in the MMT/PCL‐PUC nanocomposites, the degree of microphase separation of PCL‐PUC decreased because of the strong interactions between the PCL‐PUC chains and the exfoliated MMT layers. This resulted in an increase in the Young's modulus and a decrease in the elongation at break and maximum stress of the MMT/PCL‐PUC nanocomposites. Biodegradability of the MMT/PCL‐PUC nanocomposites was dramatically increased with increasing content of MMT, likely because of the less phase‐separated morphology of MMT/PCL‐PUC. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008