Higher Clay Loadings Research Articles

Synthesis and characterization of rigid water-blown, palm oil-based polyurethane/organically-modified clay nanocomposite foam

Despite the superior enhancement it could impose, incorporation of montmorllonite (MMT) nanoclay in polymer-matrix composites is still limited due to miscibility issues with its host matrix; which could be alleviated with surface-modification of the nanoclay. In this paper, diamino methylpentane-modified montmorillonite (DAMP-MMT) nanoclay was incorporated into a bio-based polyurethane (PU) foam at different weight loadings. Characterization tests were then carried out to investigate the influence of included organoclay on the mechanical properties, thermal stability, foam morphology, and foaming kinetics. MMT modification effect could clearly be observed with exfoliated microstructure at lower loadings, compared to pristine clay at similar loading. Presence of organic modifier tethered on the surface of nanoclay was found to act as catalyst which induced accelerated curing, affecting cellular size and structure of foam, which in return cascades into influencing mechanical and thermal properties of the foam. Compressive strength improved with addition of 1 wt.% clay, and deteriorated beyond this point; believed due to clay agglomeration at higher clay loadings. However, thermal stability showed improvement parallel with its clay content, believed owed to additional bonds formed between amine -NH2 from organoclay and – NCO from diisocyanates. Incorporation of organoclays in rigid bio-based PU foam shows great potential in moderate load-bearing applications while upholding “green chemistry” practice.

Structural and morphological properties of in-situ biosynthesis of biocompatible bacterial cellulose/Laponite nanocomposites

Bacterial cellulose (BC) membranes were produced in culture media containing Komagataeibacter xylinus microorganism and four different concentrations of Laponite (Lap) XLG up to 1.0% (m/v) to evaluate the availability of in-situ method for production of BC/Lap nanocomposites. The effect of Lap on the structure and some properties of the biosynthesised polymer was evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis coupled to mass spectrometry (TGA-MS), Fourier Transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman (FT-Raman) vibrational spectroscopies, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). TGA-MS and vibrational spectroscopy indicated that Lap particles were not incorporated into the BC membranes using 0.10 or 0.25% of the inorganic phase whereas all obtained results showed that its presence had a strong influence on the BC properties. This result can be an effect of the interaction of hydrophilic Lap particles with elementary fibrils of cellulose, expelled from the bacteria, fostering the disruption of chains organization. However, the 3D hierarchical organization of BC at the microscale was not collapsed according to SEM and AFM images. As the amount of Lap increased in the culture medium and in the produced membrane, the ribbons became less defined, suggesting the predominance of thinner ribbons. The transparency of the membranes was enhanced when the nanoclay loading was raised. The presence of high clay loadings in the BC/Lap nanocomposite did not negatively impact the cell viability against keratinocytes in comparison to pristine BC membranes, opening new opportunities to explore such nanocomposites for biomedical, pharmaceutical and cosmetics uses.

Biodegradable Poly(Butylene Succinate) Nanocomposites Based on Dimeric Surfactant Organomodified Clays with Enhanced Water Vapor Barrier and Mechanical Properties.

Biocomposites based on biodegradable polybutylene succinate (PBS) and organomodified clays (OMt) were prepared by melt blending process. The OMt nanofillers were obtained by ion exchange reaction between sodium montmorillonite (Mt) and gemini surfactants bearing 4-decyloxyphenylacetamide hydrophobic chains and ethylene or hexylene spacer. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and rheological measurement results showed that the investigated hybrids present a uniform dispersion with an exfoliation of clay into the PBS matrix, particularly for short spacer surfactant based composites. The effect of organoclay loading and composition on the thermal, mechanical, and barrier properties was also investigated. High clay loading and long gemini surfactant spacer lead to substantial improvement of Young modulus values by 21%, while low clay content induces a reduction of the hybrid's crystallinity due to strong OMt-PBS interactions. Compared to that of the neat PBS film, a significant reduction of the water vapor permeability (WVP) by 28% was obtained by adding only 3 wt % of PBS/OMt (2) which opens up prospects for this material in the field of food packaging. This study shows that gemini surfactant-modified organoclays can be used as effective nanofillers in a PBS matrix to access to value-added nanocomposites.

Molecular Organization in Exponentially Growing Multilayer Thin Films Assembled with Polyelectrolytes and Clay.

Multilayer thin film assembly by the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique offers an inexpensive and versatile route for the synthesis of functional nanomaterials. In the case of polymer-clay systems, however, the technique faces the challenges of low clay loading and lack of tunability of the film characteristics. This is addressed in the present work that achieves exponential growth in clay-containing polyelectrolyte films having high clay loading and tailored properties. Our approach involves the incorporation of a weak polyelectrolyte and a clay with relatively high charge density and small particle size. The system of investigation comprises poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) as the polycation and laponite clay and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) or poly(sodium-4-styrene sulfonate) (PSS) as polyanions that are used alternately to create multilayers. Successful high clay loading and exponential growth were achieved by two different approaches of polyanion incorporation in the multilayers. A progressive increase in the degree of ionization of PAA was shown to contribute to the exponential growth. Our findings also include novel pathways to manipulate thickness, surface topography, and clay content. The strategy presented here can lead to novel approaches to fabricate tailor-made nanomaterials for distinct applications.

Regulating the integrity of diverse composite nanofiber membranes using an organoclay

An organoclay (up to 10 wt%) is incorporated into polymer nanofibers by optimizing the electrospinning conditions. A heat press treatment readily converts the resulting composite nanofiber mats into membranes without notable defects, allowing for the examination of the role of the clay in regard to the type of polymers possessing different hydrophilicity as a function of the content. The systematic loading of clay into the nanofiber membranes and their structural features are examined by various analytical techniques. The influence of the clay filler on the water wettability, thermal stability, and mechanical property of the membranes is also evaluated. Furthermore, the pore properties (e.g., pore size, porosity, tortuosity, etc.) and water flux patterns of the membranes are investigated to understand the relationships between the amount of the clay content and the hydrophilicity degree of the polymers. Hydrophilic polymers loaded with any amount of clay and hydrophobic polymers with low clay content generally render a positive impact on the overall properties of the membranes. However, high clay loading into hydrophobic polymers induces the detrimental effect of the clay on the performance of the membranes, except for their mechanical strength. These findings suggest the importance of the proper selection of polymers and fillers to regulate the overall properties of nanofiber-derived composite membranes.

Mechanical Properties of Ternary-Filled Natural Rubber Composites

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of each ternary filler component: carbon black (CB), modified bentonite (M-BNT), and raw bentonite (BNT), and their interactions, on the mechanical properties of natural rubber (NR) composites, using a third degree-simplex lattice mixture design of experiment. The efficiency of the two-step organic modification to produce M-BNT was confirmed by the results of Fourier transform infrared with attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Synergistic effect between CB and M-BNT on the mechanical properties of NR composites with ternary filler composition 10/5/0 was observed. Reinforcement of NR matrix using this ternary filler enhanced its tensile properties: strength (69.43%), modulus (47.01%), stress at 100% strain (34.67%), stress at 200% strain (41.88%), and stress at 300% strain (50.82%), as well as its compressive properties: strength (40.89%), modulus (40.05%), stress at 20% strain (41.10%), stress at 40% strain (37.57%), and stress at 60% strain (40.79%). Significant improvement in the mechanical properties was also attributed to the surface modification of M-BNT resulting to better dispersion to NR matrix. The addition of pure BNT filler resulted to lowest tensile and compressive performance due to high clay loading and incompatibility with NR matrix. Trends of the generated contour plots based on reduced hierarchical models demonstrated synergy between CB and M-BNT as well as deterioration of mechanical properties upon addition of pure BNT filler 0/0/15.

Vinyl Modified Cloisite 30B Clay as an Efficient Filler for the Synthesis of Poly(styrene-co-butyl acrylate)/Clay Nanocomposite by Emulsion Polymerization

Synthesis of latex based on polystyrene/poly(butyl acrylate) with layered silicate using emulsion polymerization procedure is described. In order to make the organic modified montmorillonite (Cloisite 30B) more compatible with polymer matrix, it was reacted with vinyltricholorosilane as a coupling agent to replace the edge hydroxyl groups of the layered silicate with a vinyl moiety. XRD and scanning electron microscopy were applied to study the interlayer and surface changes of the clay in the prepared material. Exfoliated and intercalated nanocomposites were obtained for clay content of 0.3–1.0% while agglomeration was occurred at higher clay loadings. The nanolattices were studied by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry.

Effect of nanoclay orientation on oxygen barrier properties of LbL nanocomposite coated films.

Layer by layer (LbL) film deposition is an efficient technique used to produce thin coatings with high gas barrier properties. In this study, multilayer composite coatings with hydrogen bonding inter-layer interactions were deposited by LbL on a PET substrate, with an alternate deposition of a nanoclay layer and different intercalating polymers layers, namely chitosan (CS), polyethylene oxide (PEO), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The investigated coatings had two different structures, quadlayers and bilayers which are different in the number of layers in the repetitive unit (four and two respectively). The alignment of nanoclay platelets and the extent of their intercalation were studied using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that the dispersion level and the orientation of nanoclay particles depend considerably on the molecular structure of intercalating polymers and their interactions with nanoclay. An oxygen permeability model, specific to high filler loading composites, was then developed by considering only the aspect ratio and the volume fraction of the nanoparticles.

Fabrication of nanoclay gel composite: A novel nanoclay masterbatch approach to nanocomposite preparation via melt extrusion process

The objective of this research was to fabricate a novel nanoclay masterbatch containing polymer‐intercalated in nanoclay with comparable degree of interlayer expansion, flowability, and high thermal stability. It is ready to use for preparing polymer/clay nanocomposites by melt extrusion. The nanoclay masterbatch was efficiently prepared in one‐step via a new approach called nanoclay gel. The nanoclay gels were successfully prepared at different original nanoclay concentrations ranging from low to high clay loading (10%, 20%, and 30% w/v) in cooperation with polyethylene glycol (PEG) at various PEG loadings (weight ratios of nanoclay/PEG 1/1, ½, and 1/3) and kappa carrageenan (KC), a thermolytic hydrogel at a fixed minimum concentration. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) results revealed that the intercalation of PEG molecules expanded silicate basal spacing up to 17–18 A° even at high percentage of nanoclay (dry content about 24–49 wt%). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed the denser packing of clay layers in accordance to an increase in density of the dry nanoclay gel with increment of original nanoclay loadings. An increase of PEG content exhibited better flow ability as seen by increasing melt flow index. Thermal decomposition of the nanoclay gels was up to 380°C; by using the dry nanoclay gels to prepare polystyrene (PS)/clay nanocomposites via melt extrusion. The morphological results showed that the exfoliated structures were achieved. The mechanical and thermal stability properties were significantly enhanced. The appearing color of PS/clay nanocomposites prepared from nanoclay gel was bright pale‐yellow without evidence of thermal degradation. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:2751–2767, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers

Nanoclay enhancement of flexural properties and water uptake resistance of glass fiber-reinforced epoxy composites at different temperatures

In this study, glass fiber-reinforced epoxy-nanoclay composite plates, with I.30E clay contents ranging between 0 and 5 wt.%, were manufactured by hand layup with hot pressing. Flexural strength of unexposed fiber-reinforced epoxy-nanoclay reached an optimum improvement of 11% for 1.5 wt.%. Scanning electron microscope analysis showed that at this clay loading, better interfacial adhesion of clay with glass fibers was achieved. At higher clay loadings, clay agglomeration and presence micro-voids led to less strength improvement. The maximum water uptake was found to decrease with increasing clay loading and moisture diffusion at 80℃ was about 80% higher than that at room temperature. Post exposure flexural tests revealed a behavior similar to that of unexposed samples with nanoclay loading of 1.5 wt.% leading to optimal flexural properties. Exposure to moisture resulted in degradation of fiber-reinforced epoxy-nanoclay flexural properties with about 36% reduction in strength for 80℃ and 8% for room temperature.

Influence of nanoclay on interlaminar shear strength and fracture toughness of glass fiber reinforced nanocomposites

Multilayer glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) laminates filled with nanoclay was manufactured with compression moulding machine. In the present work, five kinds of nanoclay (Cloisite 25A) loadings viz. 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10% on weight basis of epoxy resin were employed to modify the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS), critical energy release rate (GIc) and impact energy properties of GFRP laminates. Experimental results obtained from ILSS test on clay filled GFRP confirm that the superior strength was attained at low clay content of 155.10 MPa. Furthermore, the mode I interlaminar fracture toughness test conducted on DCB specimens revealed that the commanding improvement of GIc was obtained at 2 wt.% clay content level. On the other hand, both ILSS and fracture toughness was getting reduced at higher clay loadings. At last, the impact strength of the test samples was investigated by using Izod impact test apparatus and observed that the impact energy was increased by 44.39% for 2 wt.% and followed by 24.87% for 4 wt.% clay loadings.

A Novel and Facile Nanoclay Aerogel Masterbatch toward Exfoliated Polymer‐Clay Nanocomposites through a Melt‐Mixing Process

This research employed a novel and facile approach called nanoclay aerogel masterbatch.. This innovative technique was conducted by attaching the clay layers directly onto a mobile polymer, for example, polyethylene glycol (PEG), in order to modify the clay layer through PEG‐clay intercalation and PEG‐hydrogen bonding. This state was maintained with a small amount of the anionic polymer hydrogel, for example, kappa‐carrageenan (KC), and turning it into a highly porous and fragile structure by freeze‐drying, thus a so‐called nanoclay aerogel masterbatch. The facile nanoclay aerogel masterbatch was able to be attained even at high clay loadings (55–67 wt.% of the inorganic clay content) with constant PEG and KC loadings. The interlayer spacing enlargement of the nanoclay galleries was around 17 Å with the typical lamellar morphology like a house of cards structure. The density values were within 0.108–0.122 g·cm−3. The thermal stabilities were up to 270°C, revealing better thermal stability for melt mixing with the commodity plastics at a high melting temperature. The flowability and processability were certified by the melt flow index (MFI) results. The highest nanoclay loading capacity (67 wt.%) of the achieved nanoclay aerogel masterbatch was selected to prepare PS‐clay nanocomposites via a melt‐mixing process. The comparative nanocomposites were produced by using organoclay. The results of the X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) exhibited that the exfoliated morphologies were obtained at all clay contents (1–3 wt.%); however, the intercalated structure was gained by using organoclay. The outstanding transparency and brightness were remarked from the specimens prepared by using the nanoclay aerogel masterbatch. The brownish specimens were observed by using organoclay. The significant improvements of tensile properties, glass transition temperature (Tg), and thermal stability were noticed from the nanocomposites prepared using the nanoclay aerogel masterbatch.

Novel Organo Soluble Polyimides and Polyimide Nanocomposites Based on 1,4-bis((4-aminophenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazolyl)benzene, baob, via baobmodified Organoclay

New, thermally stable polyimides (pi) containing a 1,3,4-oxadiazole ring in the polymer backbone based on 1,4-bis((4-aminophenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazolyl)benzene, baob, were synthesized. The prepared polymers were soluble in polar and aprotic solvents. The obtained results reveal that within the prepared polymers, polyimide (7) which has been obtained from baob and 4,4’-oxydiphthalic dianhydride, odpa, has the most improved thermal properties. In the next part, thermally stable organophilic clay was obtained via cation exchange reaction between sodium montmorillonite (Na-mmt) and the hydrochloride salt of baob. Then, a series of pi/clay nanocomposite materials (pcns) were synthesized from the in situ polymerization reaction of baob and odpa via thermal imidization. baob-mmt was used as the filler at different concentrations. Intercalation of polymer chains within the organoclay galleries was confirmed by wxrd. The glass transition temperature is increased with respect to pristine pi for pcns 1-3 wt%. At high clay loadings, the aggregation of organoclay particles results in a decrease in Tg. In the sem images of the pure polymer too many micro-cracks were observed in the background,while surface homogeneity of pcn 1 wt% is increased and microcracks are reduced.

Nylon 6, 12/Cloisite 30B Electrospun Nanocomposites for Dental Applications

In this study, nylon-nanoclay fibers were prepared by electrospinning. The electrospun membranes were characterized by fourier transform infra red spectroscopy (FTIR), electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction studies (XRD), contact angle and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses. The incorporation of nanoclay (Cloisite 30B) to the electrospun membrane which was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed improvements in the overall properties of the membrane. Antimicrobial studies carried out using Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans showed that antimicrobial activity of the membrane with higher clay loading was comparable to that of commercially available dental antiseptic, even though lower clay concentrations did not show antimicrobial effects. The incremental addition of the Cloisite 30B resulted in significant increase in the antimicrobial activity and hydrophobicity.

Adduct modified nano-clay mineral dispersed polystyrene nanocomposites as advanced corrosion resistance coatings for aluminum alloys

The present investigation is on processing of a series of clay polystyrene nanocomposite (CPS) coatings containing different adduct modified montmorillonite (Mt) for corrosion resistance coating applications. The corrosion properties were studied using potentiodynamic and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements in 3.5wt% aqueous NaCl electrolyte. The CPS coatings offered enhanced corrosion protection for Aluminum 6061 alloy even at high clay loading (20wt%). The order of their protection efficiency was CPS-AMt>Pristine PS>Pristine Na+-Mt. Dispersion of Mt in the polystyrene matrix resulted in significant improvement of properties such as corrosion protection, optical clarity, electrical conductivity and thermal stability.

Phenolic resin‐crosslinked natural rubber/clay nanocomposites: Influence of clay loading and interfacial adhesion on strain‐induced crystallization behavior

ABSTRACTNanocomposites of natural rubber (NR) and pristine clay (clay) were prepared by latex mixing, then crosslinked with phenolic resin (PhOH). For comparative study, the PhOH‐crosslinked neat NR was also prepared. Influence of clay loading (i.e., 1, 3, 5, and 10 phr) on mechanical properties and structural change of PhOH‐crosslinked NR/clay nanocomposites was studied through X‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopic (TEM), wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), tensile property measurement, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). XRD and TEM showed that the clay was partly intercalated and aggregated, and that the dispersion state of clay was non‐uniform at higher clay loading (>5 phr). From tensile test measurement, it was found that the pronounced upturn of tensile stress was observed when the clay loading was increased and a maximum tensile strength of the PhOH‐crosslinked NR/clay nanocomposites was obtained at 5 phr clay. WAXD observations showed that an increased addition of clay induced more orientation and alignment of NR chains, thereby lowering onset strain of strain‐induced crystallization and promoting crystallinity of the NR matrix during tensile deformation. FTIR investigation indicated a strong interfacial adhesion between NR matrix and clay filler through a phenolic resin bridge. This suggested that the PhOH did not only act as curative agent for crosslinking of NR, but it also worked as coupling agent for promoting interfacial reaction between NR and clay. The presence of strong interfacial adhesion was found to play an important role in the crystallization process, leading to promotion of mechanical properties of the PhOH‐crosslinked NR/clay nanocomposites. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci.2016,133, 43214.

Influence of Degassing and Nanoclay Loading on Physical and Flexural Properties of Epoxy

The mechanical and physical properties of epoxy-clay nanocomposites are known to be significantly affected by the dispersion and distribution of the clay particles in the epoxy matrix. The degree of dispersion of the clay particles in the epoxy matrix depends mainly on the processing parameters used to synthesize the nanocomposite.In this paper, the optimized high shear mixing parameters determined in an earlier work were used to disperse five different loadings of Nanomer I.30E nanoclay (1, 1.5, 2, 3 and 5 wt%) into DGEBA epoxy matrix. A systematic approach was adopted to optimize the degassing process of the mixture. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analyses showed that the optimum nanoclay dispersion was achieved for a degassing temperature of 120 °C. The flexural strength of the developed nanoclay/epoxy composite is found to increase by 15% for 1.5 wt% and due to the high stiffness of the clay, as compared with epoxy resin, the flexural modulus improved continuously with clay loading. The observed reduction in strength and fracture strain at high clay loadings is mainly attributable to the presence of clay agglomerations and voids formation. The diffusion of water molecules and maximum moisture uptake of epoxy are reduced considerably by the presence of nanoclay.

Tuning of Final Performances of Soybean Oil–Based Polymer Nanocomposites: Effect of Styryl/Oil Functionalized Intercalant of Montmorillonite Reinforcer

Abstract Bio-based polymeric nanocomposites were prepared via polymerization of a monomer mixture of acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) and styrene in the presence of organophilic montmorillonite (MMT) clay by in-situ free-radical polymerization technique. MMT clay was rendered organophilic by a styryl/oil functionalized intercalant which is compatible with the two matrices and able to participate in the polymerization/crosslinking reaction. The presence of styryl group in the intercalant is also thought to be an original solution to the drawback mentioned in the literature arising from higher amount of small styrene monomer molecules in the clay galleries than larger AESO molecules at high clay loadings. The current design of the interclant is expected to allow polymer molecules grown from both AESO and styrene monomers inside the clay galleries and also from edges/surfaces of the silicate layers. In this study, a special attention was paid to the enhancement of both thermal and mechanical properites of AESO-based nanocomposites via usage of the compatible and reactive intercalant for MMT modification. The resultant nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The effect of increased nanoclay loading in thermal and mechanical properties was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The nanocomposite materials exhibited improved thermal stability and dynamic mechanical properties as compared to neat polymer. The nanocomposite with exfoliation dominant structural morphology showed the highest storage modulus around Tg which is about 480% higher than that of neat AESOPS, even with a clay content as low as 3 wt%.

Accounting for the lack of nano-effect in a thermoset/clay nanocomposite: A positron annihilation study

The effect of nanoclay dispersion on the thermo-mechanical properties of an unsaturated polyester thermoset resin was studied by flexural and dynamic mechanical property measurements. Transmission electron microscopy studies revealed intercalated clay dispersion morphology in the nanocomposites. The thermomechanical measurements showed a steady decrease in the flexural strength and a relaxation temperature, with only moderate increase in the storage modulus at 1% clay loading, followed by a drop at higher clay loadings. In order to understand the absence of nano-effect in this case, free volume measurements were carried out by using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. A bimodal distribution of o-Ps life times was observed. Nanoclay loading resulted in the increase of the o-Ps intensity corresponding to the longest life time as well as free volume fraction suggesting diminished chain packing efficiency in the nanocomposites. We posit that nanoclay induced decreased chain packing efficiency and the presence of higher free volume size elements might cause deterioration in mechanical properties of the nanocomposites.

Comparison of the influence of talc and kaolinite as inorganic fillers on morphology, structure and thermomechanical properties of polylactide based composites

This work deals with the effect of both nature and content of two chemically different layered silicates (i.e. talc and kaolinite) on the morphology, structure and thermomechanical properties of polylactide/clay minerals composites. Composites with filler contents up to 30wt.% were studied. Regarding the morphology it was found that kaolinite–PLA nanocomposites display a better filler dispersion with a majority of particle sizes at the nanometer scale. This better degree of dispersion has been ascribed to the electrochemical properties of kaolinite which exhibit a lower Zeta potential than talc. It was also found that talc has a pronounced nucleating effect on PLA crystallization, whatever the clay mineral content. By contrast this effect is very limited in kaolinite–PLA nanocomposites. Investigation of the mechanical behavior indicates that a reinforcing effect is observed for the two types of clay minerals for filler contents beyond 10wt.%. This shows the interest of filling PLA with high clay minerals contents. This reinforcing effect is significantly higher for the talc based composites. These differences are ascribed to a better affinity between PLA macromolecules and talc surface, due to the presence of only silicate layers. In addition to the demonstration of the interest of using high clay minerals loadings, a main result of this work is that filler dispersion is not the only parameter that governs the gain in properties. It is shown that interfacial effects and more especially affinity between the polymer and the clay mineral also play a key role.