Abstract
Layered silicates are suitable for use as fillers in nanocomposites based on their particular features, such as large aspect ratio, easy availability, and chemical resistance. Among them, sericite is distinguished for its higher aspect ratio, higher resilience, and ultraviolet shielding and absorption. Previously, sericite was structure-modified and intercalated by CTAB to expand its interlayer space. The intercalated sericite seems promising for use in the fabrication of polymer/sericite composites or pillared sericite. However, special attention should be paid to the stability of the intercalated sericite because the CTAB inside the layer may be de-intercalated, which would affect the interlayer spacing and its surface properties. In this article, the stability of the sericite intercalated by CTAB was tested by changing different variables, such as different washing solvents, different temperatures, ultrasonic cleaning, and different solution conditions. Finally, sericite/polymer nanocomposites were produced with the stable intercalated sericite, and showed excellent properties compared with pure epoxy resin.
Highlights
IntroductionA wide variety of fillers, either natural ones or synthetic ones, can be used to intercalate into the polymer [1,2]
Nanocomposites have attracted great attention due to their extraordinary properties.A wide variety of fillers, either natural ones or synthetic ones, can be used to intercalate into the polymer [1,2]
Following gravity purification, drying, and grinding, raw sericite materials (S0) were obtained from the natural sericite produced in Anhui, China
Summary
A wide variety of fillers, either natural ones or synthetic ones, can be used to intercalate into the polymer [1,2]. Among them, layered silicates attract the most attention because of their easy availability, large aspect ratios, and chemical resistance [9,10,11,12]. In most cases, these layered silicates, which are hydrophilic by nature, need to be organically modified to produce polymer-compatible clay, to increase the compatibility between the layered silicate and the polymer matrix, and to lower the surface energy of the layered silicate. The replacement of the inorganic exchange cations with alkylammonium surfactants can make clay compatible to the polymer matrix [13,14,15]
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