Photochemical preparation of polymer-clay composites

Abstract

In situ photochemically initiated free radical polymerization was used to obtain an organophilic bentonite-polymer composite. The photoinitiation process of this polymerization could occur with the use of sunlight, but process is continued in dark, caused by the, so-called, dark reaction. The components of polymerizing formulation are: monomer - [2-(methacryloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride (I), electron donor - 2-(dimethylamine)ethyl methacrylate (II) and crosslinking monomer (III). Obtained composites are flexible and insoluble in water, but they do not exhibit good mechanical properties.