Multilayering is an attractive approach for creating designed structures from particulate-filled polymers. If the particles are anisotropic, for example platelets, the geometric constraints imposed by layer multiplying ensure orientation of the particles in the plane of the layers. Multilayered composites were processed with alternating layers of pure low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high aspect ratio mica filled linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE). These materials were annealed above melting temperature of the polymers to activate interdiffusion and to concentrate mica platelets in the filled LLDPE layers. SEM, TEM and WAXS methodologies were employed to probe overall morphology and in particular platelet orientation/dispersion in the nanocomposite blends and nanoparticulate filled multilayer systems. Oxygen barrier and fire retardant have been measured, compared and related to the morphological observations. It was shown that multilayering leads to considerable enhancement of oxygen barrier and fire retardant properties as compared to nanocomposite blends with the same mineral compositions.

Mica filled multilayered composites with enhanced gas barrier and fire retardant properties

245th National Meeting (2013)

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