Morphology, X-ray Diffraction and Mechanical Properties of Resol-montmorillonite Clay Composites

Abstract

Layered silicate composites having phenolic matrix were prepared by melt intercalation. The resole resin was synthesized and was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy. Method for making composites consisted of mechanically mixing the modified montmorillonite clay with phenol formaldehyde resin and curing the polymer to form a composite material, via intercalation of polymer in between the clay galleries. The objective was to investigate the effect of clay percentage on the behavior of composites samples. Composite samples with different clay percentages (0—4%) were compared with pristine resin sample. The morphology of the composites was examined by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and interesting observation was made from tensile fractured sample because of formation of dendrites at 0.8 wt% clay. The crystalline and amorphous behavior was investigated by using X-ray diffraction method. The XRD pattern showed that there was a decrease in amorphous behavior with increasing filler content. Although exfoliation cannot be claimed, but improvement in mechanical properties confirm intercalation. Tensile and flexural modulus increased up to 84 and 46%, respectively, of the initial value with increase in filler content up to 0.8%, after which there was a downward trend due to possible agglomeration of clay particles.