Effect of organic modifiers on dispersion of organoclay in polymer nanocomposites to improve mechanical properties

Published Date
Polymer
5 August 2016, Vol.97:525–532, doi:10.1016/j.polymer.2016.05.066

Author 

• Kinjal J. Shah ^a,b
• Atindra D. Shukla ^b,,
• Dinesh O. Shah ^b
• Toyoko Imae ^a,c,

• aGraduate Institute of Applied Science and Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 10607, Taiwan
• bShah-Schulman Center for Surface Science and Nanotechnology, Dharmsinh Desai University, Nadiad 387001, India
• cDepartment of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, 43 Section 4, Keelung Road, Taipei 10607, Taiwan

Received 8 February 2016. Revised 14 May 2016. Accepted 25 May 2016. Available online 30 May 2016.

Highlights

• •
  The study on nature of organoclay on their dispersion in polymer is presented here.
• •
  Extent of hydrophobicity determines the dispersibility of clays in polymer matrix.
• •
  Higher hydrophobicity induces optimum exfoliation of clay platelets in UPE resin.
• •
  Polymer-clay composite with high exfoliation show enhanced mechanical properties.
• •
  The amount of hydrophobic clays is optimized with respect to mechanical properties.

Abstract

The hydrophilic/hydrophobic organoclays with varying quaternary ammonium substituents (QAS) were successfully synthesized and used as filler in unsaturated polyester (UPE) resin-organoclay nanocomposites to enhance mechanical properties. The organoclay-BQASMMT₁₈ (octadecyldimethylbenzylammonium bromide modified montmorillonite) with only 3 wt% in the UPE enhanced tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural strength and elongation at break by the order of 4.6, 2.4, 2 and 2.4, respectively compared to the pristine UPE. The tensile strength and hardness of the UPE-organoclay nanocomposites were increased with increase in organoclay content in the nanocomposites. However, the tensile and flexural strength decreased with increased loading of BQASMMT₁₈ from 3% to 5 wt% due to less dispersibility of organoclay in nanocomposites. Moreover, dispersibility of hydrophobic organoclays in UPE nanocomposite is higher with respect of hydrophilic and pristine clay.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

• Polymer-matrix composite
• Nanocomposite
• Mechanical property
• Strength
• Thermosetting resin
• Organoclay

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• ∗ 
  Corresponding author.
• ∗∗ 
  Corresponding author. Graduate Institute of Applied Science and Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 10607, Taiwan.

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