Abstract
Two ethylene-octene copolymers with 17 and 45 wt.% of octene (EOC-17 and EOC-45) were compared in nanocomposites with Cloisite 93A. EOC-45 nanocomposites have a higher elongation at break. Dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA) showed a decrease oftanδwith frequency for EOC-17 nanocomposites, but decrease is followed by an increase for EOC-45 nanocomposites; DMA showed also increased modulus for all nanocomposites compared to pure copolymers over a wide temperature range. Barrier properties were improved about 100% by addition of organoclay; they were better for EOC-17 nanocomposites due to higher crystallinity. X-ray diffraction (XRD) together with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed some intercalation for EOC-17 but much better dispersion for EOC-45 nanocomposites. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed increased crystallization temperatureTcfor EOC-17 nanocomposite (aggregates acted as nucleation agents) but decreaseTcfor EOC-45 nanocomposite together with greatly influenced melting peak. Accelerated UV aging showed smaller C=O peak for EOC-45 nanocomposites.
Highlights
Polymer nanocomposites have been interesting already for a longer period of time
Pure ethylene-octene copolymer (EOC)-17 and its blends with Cloisite 93 show a linear decrease of tan delta with increasing frequency
As the results show permeability, pure materials (EOC-17 and EOC45) have inferior properties compared to filled materials
Summary
Polymer nanocomposites have been interesting already for a longer period of time. They represent the group of systems where polymer matrix is mixed with a certain type of nanofiller. Because of the problems with the exfoliation of its agglomerates in the polymeric matrix, MMT is used not pure but modified by the process known as organofilization or intercalation, that is, the insertion of a suitable organic compound into MMT interlayer [6,7,8,9] The result of this step brings a broader D-spacing as well as a reduction of dispersing forces between the individual platelets of montmorillonite. The advantage of nanofillers lies in the ability to create this improvement by much lower loading in comparison with common fillers Another quality of nanoleaves is their positive impact on the orientation of long thick platelets in polymer matrix during compounding (mainly at extrusion/blowing of packaging films), where they create by their orientation a gas barrier to the gas transmission.
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