Preparation and Thermal Stability of Pyrrole and m-Toluidine Copolymer/Montmorillonite Composites

Abstract

Pyrrole and m-toluidine copolymer (P(PY/MT)) / montmorillonite (MMT) Composites were prepared by in situ chemical polymerization of pyrrole with m-toluidine monomer in the presence of montmorillonite. The structural, morphological and thermal properties of these composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). X-ray diffraction result for P(PY/MT)-MMT illuminated the intercalation of P(PY/MT) copolymer between the clay layers. The FT-IR result showed the successful incorporation of montmorillonite clay in the prepared P(PY/MT)/MMT composite. The higher thermal stability of high MMT content rate might be attributed to its higher chain compactness due to the interfacial interaction between the P(PY/MT) and the clay.