The innovative two-step method of layer-by-layer deposition of clay and polyelectrolyte alternating layers on the polyvinylacetate substrate, followed by cyclic melt pressing of the coated substrate was used to prepare the polymer clay nanocomposites. Compared with our previous studies with polystyrene-based matrices, polyvinylacetate nanocomposites showed the higher contents of clay, when prepared at similar processing condition and equal concentrations of polyelectrolyte and clay suspensions, perhaps as a result of the relatively significant hydrophilic nature of polyvinylacetate. Thus, after melt pressing of the coated films for only twenty five cycles, significant improvements in barrier properties against oxygen and carbon dioxide gases were resulted. In addition, a sensible increase in the storage modulus of the polymer nanocomposites was observed. The resulted improved properties of the polymer clay nanocomposite may point to the likely incidence of substantial interactions among polyvinylacetate matrix, sulfonated polyethylene terephthalate polyelectrolyte, and clay platelets.<br/>Further increases in the melt pressing cycles of the polymer nanocomposite did not provide any further improvement, and instead, resulted in reaching to diminishing points of return in the aforementioned increases in dynamic mechanical and barrier properties that may be postulated as the aftermath of a possibly slight thermal degradation of the polymeric ingredients.

Investigating dynamic mechanical properties of inventive polyvinylacetate clay nanocomposites with improved gas barrier properties

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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