Solid State NMR Evaluation of Natural Resin/Clay Nanocomposites

Abstract

NMR nuclear relaxation times have been used by Tavares et al as a methodology to characterize the nano materials, especially nanocomposites, because NMR offers a great variety of relaxation parameters. The spin-lattice relaxation time, with a time constant T1, have been explored to get as much information as possible from the measurements of the spin-lattice proton relaxation (T1H), which can measure the fraction of available polymer/clay interface as well as the dispersion homogeneity of those interfaces actually formed. The spin-lattice has been evaluated since this relaxation time confirms the T1 and can give additional information to nanocomposite clay dispersion. The NMR relaxation times are sensitive to the chemical environmental, changes in the polymer matrix; chemical structure and interaction process, because they depend on the domain distribution and sample homogeneity, since they are measured in the solid state via intermolecular chains interaction and/or spin diffusion. The T1 relaxation time of the nanocomposite decreased very much in relation to the natural resin, according to the increase in the exfoliation clay process, forming a nanocomposite with polymer matrix around the clay lamella.