Thermo-mechanical Properties of Copolymer/Clay Nanocomposites: A Comparative Study of Production Method by In-situ and Solution Mixture

摘要

The field of polymer/clay nanocomposites is a new route for preparing polymers with enhance properties like higher modulus, thermal stability, better barrier properties, chemical resistance and electrical conductivity. In this work, nanoclay montmorillonite (MMT) was incorporated as reinforcement to a copolymer matrix, containing 0, 5% and 10 wt% of nanoclay. Two different processes were used to prepare the nanocomposites: (a) via in-situ (MMT-IN) and the (b) solution mixing (MMT-B). These nanocomposites show an increase in their glass transition temperature, T_g, studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and also a rise by an order of magnitude in the Young's modulus for both series. On the other hand, the study of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for the two series IN and B with addition of montmorillonite clay nanoparticles showed a decreasing behavior in thermal decomposition temperatures, T_(dec), relative to the neat copolymer matrix.