Abstract
Polyethylene-MMT nanocomposites were prepared by in situ polymerization methodology using TpMs*TiCl3 (1) intercalated into the gallery of Cloisite® 30B (C30B) using methylaluminoxane (MAO) as activator. From the powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis it was observed that the basal spacing of the activated organoclay changes from 1.85 nm (2θ = 4.8) to 2.18 nm (2θ = 4.0) indicating that the intercalation of the titanium catalyst into the gallery took place. The catalytic system 1/C30B/MAO was active in the ethylene polymerization under different reaction conditions. The exfoliated morphology of the PE-MMT nanocomposite was further examined and confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. The presence of exfoliated clay (5 wt.%) in the PE matrix confers better mechanical properties (flexural modulus and storage modulus) when compared with the ones displayed by the neat PE produced using exclusively 1.
Highlights
In recent years, polymer-clay nanocomposites have attracted much academic and industrial interest because of the anticipated improvements in mechanical properties, stiffness, thermal stability, chemical resistance, high barrier properties, flame retardancy, etc. when the aluminosilicate platelets of clays like montmorillonite are well exfoliated into polymers.[1,2,3,4]Several methods have been adopted to prepare polymerclay nanocomposites, such as self-assembly of exfoliatedVol 20, No 3, 2009 and nanoparticles are matched
Just one example of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)-layered silicate is described in the literature using polymerization filling technique
The organomodified Cloisite 30B (C30B) was selected considering the hydroxyl groups attached to the alkylammonium cations in the clay galleries which can act as the potential binding sites for coordination of the titanium complex.[34]
Summary
Polymer-clay nanocomposites have attracted much academic and industrial interest because of the anticipated improvements in mechanical properties, stiffness, thermal stability, chemical resistance, high barrier properties, flame retardancy, etc. when the aluminosilicate platelets of clays like montmorillonite are well exfoliated into polymers.[1,2,3,4]Several methods have been adopted to prepare polymerclay nanocomposites, such as self-assembly of exfoliatedVol 20, No 3, 2009 and nanoparticles are matched. Polymerization filling process can produce nanocomposites with much higher nanofiller content This strategy has been utilized to produce a variety of economically important polymer-clay nanocomposites based on poly(methyl methacrylate),[6,7,8] polylactide,[9] polyurethanes,[10] poly(ε-caprolactone),[11,12] and polystyrene.[7,13,14,15] this approach has been extremely useful to produce well-exfoliated nanocomposites based on apolar polyolefins in spite of their hydrophobic properties that lack suitable interactions with the polar aluminosilicate surface of the clay. We report the synthesis and characterization of intergallery-anchored TpMs*TiCl (TpMs*= HB(3-mesitylpyrazolyl)2(5-mesitylpyrazolyl)−)[3] into an organophilically modified montmorillonite clay (Cloisite 30B), by methyl, tallow, bis-2-hydroxyethyl quaternary ammonium chloride (MT2EtOH), and its application in the production of UHMWPE-layered silicate nanocomposites
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
