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Organoclay Nanocomposites from Ethylene–Acrylic Acid Copolymers
Author(s) -
Filippi Sara,
Marazzato Cristina,
Magagnini Pierluigi,
Minkova Liliya,
Dintcheva Nadka Tzankova,
La Mantia Francesco P.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
macromolecular materials and engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.913
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1439-2054
pISSN - 1438-7492
DOI - 10.1002/mame.200600217
Subject(s) - materials science , nanocomposite , organoclay , copolymer , polymer , compounding , acrylic acid , micrograph , alkyl , chemical engineering , composite material , silicate , polymer chemistry , scanning electron microscope , organic chemistry , chemistry , engineering
Summary: A study of the structure–property relationships for nanocomposites prepared by melt compounding from ethylene–acrylic acid copolymers of varied composition and molecular architecture, and organoclays modified with different ammonium ions has been made by DSC, POM, SEM, TEM, WAXD, and rheological and mechanical tests. Within the series of clays investigated, the best levels of dispersion were displayed by those organically modified with quaternary ammonium ions containing two long alkyl tails. The relevant nanocomposites were shown to possess mixed exfoliated and intercalated morphology. The spacing of the intercalated clay stacks, most of which comprise few silicate layers, was found to be independent of clay loading, in the range of 2–50 phr, and to change with the molecular architecture of the matrix polymer. An indication that the excess surfactant present in some of the clays, and the organic material added in others to expand the interlayer spacing, were expelled from the clay galleries during melt blending and acted as plasticisers for the matrix polymer, was obtained from WAXD and rheological characterisations.TEM micrograph of the nanocomposite of EAA1 with 11 phr of 15A.