Solid-state processing for the preparation of polymer nano-composites having finely dispersed layered fillers was conducted. The mixture of powder polymer and organically modified clay (OMC) (95:5 wt./wt.) was subjected to the processing using laboratory press, alumina mortar or internal mixer for applying shear stress to OMC layers at below <i>T<sub>m</sub></i> of matrix polymer (i.e., matrix polymer is still at the solid-state) before melt compounding. X-ray diffraction peak from OMC layer stacking gradually decrease with increasing the processing time. The melt compounded mixture prepared by solid-state processing exhibited disorder and delaminated layer structure into matrix through TEM observations. On the contrary, nano-composite prepared by melt compounding (without solid-state processing) showed the large stacked silicate layers in the matrix. The solid-state processing led to delaminate of the silicate layers and attained the discrete dispersion.

Polymer/clay nano-composite formation: Clay dispersion control via solid-state processing

251st National Meeting (2016)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.