Abstract
When polymer-clay nanocomposites are prepared from a polymer of broad molecular mass distribution, the question arises whether the clay scavenges the low molecular mass fractions or prefers to receive the larger molecules which might provide bridges between nanoparticles. This is the first report of competitive sorption experiments for molecular mass in polymer-clay nanocomposites and shows that high molecular mass fractions of polymer intercalate preferentially into a smectite clay during solution preparation. Poly(ethylene glycol)s (PEGs) with different monomodal molecular mass distributions were mixed and added to montmorillonite in aqueous suspension. After centrifuging, excess PEG in the supernatant was analyzed gravimetrically and by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The montmorillonite preferentially absorbed the higher mass fractions. X-ray diffraction confirmed intercalation. Sodium-treated montmorillonite also showed this preference. A heat-treated montmorillonite with collapsed layers was us...
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