CHARACTERIZATION OF PP/ORGANOCLAY PREPARED VIA SOLVENT CASTING

摘要

As first part of this project, Polypropylene/organoclay nanocomposites have been prepared via solvent casting in order to study their viscoelastic properties. The extent of this clay inside the matrix can be later evaluated by melt rheology beside more techniques like electron microscopy, FTIR and X-ray diffraction. The clay used in our work (Montmorillonite) was prepared und organophilicaly modified under several conditions depending on the alkyl ammonium content and the cationic exchange capacity (CEC). Scanning electron microscopy was used in order to verify the intercalation of alkylammonium in the interlayer space of clay. The results are in good agreement with the results of FTIR and X-ray diffraction, which proved also, in case of nanocomposite, the intercalation of polymer chains into the interlayer space. Rheological investigation in melt state of polypropylene will be done. The preparation of nanocomposite using melt-compounding method is being prepared and the results will be exposed in a forthcoming report.