Physico-mechanical, Morphological, and Thermal Properties of Clay Dispersed Styrene-co-Maleic Acid Impregnated Wood Polymer Nanocomposites

Abstract

In this study, we evaluate the physical, mechanical, and morphological properties of a clay dispersed styrene-co-glycidyl methacrylate (ST-co-GMA) impregnated wood polymer nanocomposite (WPNC). The WPNC was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), 3-point bending, and free-vibration testing. The FT-IR results showed that the absorbance at 1730 cm−1 was increased for ST-co-GMA-clay-WPNC compared with other nanocomposites and the raw material. The SEM results showed that ST-co-GMA-clay-WPNC had a smoother surface than other nanocomposites and raw wood. The modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR), and dynamic Young’s moduli (Ed) of WPNCs were considerably increased compared to wood polymer nanocomposites (WPNCs) and raw wood. The raw wood exhibited a higher water uptake (WU) than WPNCs.