Effects of Organomontmorillonite Content on Morphology and Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide)/Polyamide-66 Nanocomposites

Kunxiao Yang,Lilong Jiang,Yadong He,Ying Huang,Chunling Xin

doi:10.1155/2016/9104395

Abstract

The nanocomposites consisting of polymer matrix and nanofiller have attracted great attention because of the improved physical properties. In this paper, organomontmorillonite (OMMT) was introduced into poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) grafted maleic anhydride (PPO-g-MA) compatibilized poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide)/polyamide-66 (PPO/PA66) blends by melt extrusion. The morphology of PPO/PA66 nanocomposites with different amounts of OMMT was investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The OMMT platelets exhibited an exfoliated structure in the PA66 matrix and an intercalated structure on the surface of PPO domains at low OMMT loading (2 phr). However, the exfoliated platelets in matrix were found to transform into intercalated stacks by adding 6 phr of OMMT. The mechanical properties and thermal stability were significantly improved with the coexistence of exfoliated and intercalated OMMT at low OMMT loading (2–4 phr). The exfoliated OMMT platelets imposed a confinement effect on the macromolecular chains and thereby increased the storage modulus and complex viscosity of nanocomposites.

Highlights

Polymer/layered silicate nanocomposites have attracted great attention because of their ability to improve thermal stability and mechanical properties [1,2,3,4,5]
The exfoliation and microstructure of OMMT in PPO/PA66 blends were investigated via wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
The reason is that the polymer-OMMT interactions at high clay concentration are dominated by the van der Waals force, which limits the expansion of OMMT galleries [9]

Summary

Introduction

Polymer/layered silicate nanocomposites have attracted great attention because of their ability to improve thermal stability and mechanical properties [1,2,3,4,5]. Organomontmorillonite (OMMT) is reported to be efficient in modifying the morphology of multiphase blends. Since OMMT is a layered filler, separating the layer into intercalated or exfoliated structures is vital for property improvement [9, 10]. The microstructure of nanocomposites, especially for multiphase blends, depends drastically on the surface modification of filler and presence of compatibilizer. Functional groups are utilized to modify the surface of montmorillonite for higher layer spacing [13, 14]

Objectives

Results

Conclusion