Nanoparticles montmorillonite clay nanocomposites

The layered silicate nanoparticles are usually hydrophilic and their interactions with nonpolar polymers are not favorable. Thus, whereas hydrophilic polymers are likely to intercalate within Na-activated montmorillonite clays [24-29], hydrophobic polymers can lead to intercalated [23,30-32] or exfoliated [33] structures only with organophilized clays, i.e., with materials where the hydrated Na+ within the galleries has been replaced by proper cationic surfactants (e.g., alkylammonium) by a cation exchange reaction. The thermodynamics of intercalation or exfoliation have been discussed [34-37] in terms of both enthalpic and entropic contributions to the free energy. It has been recognized that the entropy loss because of chain confinement is compensated by the entropy gain associated with the increased conformational freedom of the surfactant tails as the interlayer distance increases with polymer intercalation [34,38], whereas the favorable enthalpic interactions are extremely critical in determining the nanocomposite structure [39]. 

C5 ras VP, Manfredi LB, Ton-That M-T, Vazquez A (2008) Physical and mechanical properties of thermoplastic starch/montmorillonite nanocomposite films. Carbohydr Polym 73 55-63 de Morals Teixeira E, Correa A, Manzoli A, de Lima Leite F, de Oliveira C, Mattoso L (2010) Cellulose nanofibers from white and naturally colored cotton fibers. Cellulose 17 595-606 de Moura MR, Aouada FA, Avena-Bustillos RJ, McHugh TH, Krochta JM, Mattoso LHC (2009) Improved barrier and mechanical properties of novel hydrox5q)ropyl methylcellulose edible films with chitosan/tripolyphosphate nanoparticles. J Food Eng 92 448—453 Dean K, Yu L, Wu DY (2007) Preparation and characterization of melt-extruded thermoplastic starch/clay nanocomposites. Compos Sci Technol 67 413 21 Duanmu J, Gamstedt EK, Rosling A (2007) Hygromechanical properties of composites of crosslinked allylglycidyl-ether modified starch reinforced by wood fibres. Compos Sci Technol 67 3090-3097... 

Nanocomposite conventional mesoscale fibers (textile fibers that carry nanoparticulate filler) are produced via conventional fiber-spinning techniques by incorporating well-dispersed nanoparticles into the spinning dope. For instance, an intercalated poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/organo-montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposite prepared by in situ polymerization of the polyester in the presence of MMT clay was successfully melt spun into microfibers (Guan, G.-H., et al. 2005). Melt-spun conventional fibers of... 

In addition to the synthesis of latexes with high solids content and small particle size, in the past decade, microemulsion polymerization has heen used to synthesize a wide range of materials. For instance, several works have incorporated inorganic materials such as carhon nanotuhes, " ZnO nanoparticles (UV absorption),montmorillonite clay, " and quantum dots (luminescence probes) " to produce nanocomposites. Furthermore, nanogels, " conductive polypyrrole and polyaniline latexes, " " polyurethanes using immiscible monomers, and polymers in water-in-scC02 microemulsions have been also prepared by microemulsion polymerization. 

PVC (K value 66.4) used in this study was donated by Shintech Inc. Other additives used in the manufacture of the nanocomposites are listed in Table 1. Montmorillonite clay supplied by Southern Clay Products (Texas, USA) was used as nanoparticles. The cation-exchange capacity of the non-modified sodium montmorillonite (Cloisite Na ) was 92.6 meq/lOOg clay. 

The FR properties of polymer-layered silicate nanocomposites have been studied for a wide range of polymers, especially for organomodified montmorillonites (OMMT) in thermoplastics. Depending on the nature of the polymer, the decomposition pathway and decomposition products may change.8 A major consequence of the introduction of modified clays is the formation or the enhancement of charred structure, caused by cross-linking processes possibly catalyzed by the nanoparticles. 

In the previous several years, various nanoparticles have been assembled into pairs to fabricate polymer nanocomposites, such as clay/silica (45), clay/carbon black (43), CNTs/clay (41,42), and CNTs/Titanium (38). Polymer/CNTs/clay ternary composite is one of most important multiphase systems with interesting synergistic effect, where sodium based montmorillonite (MMT) are the most commonly used layered clay. In this chapter, we will select some typical examples to demonstrate the importance and synergies of using CNTs and clay together in the preparation of polymer nanocomposites. 

Xu et al. heterocoagulated cationic PMMA latex particles of an estimated 150-200 nm in diameter with various clays, Montmorillonite (GelWhite GP and Cloisite Na+) and (fluoro)hectorites (Laponite RD, RDS, B, S, JS), having plate dimensions between 25 and 600 nm. No details on the stable colloidal armored structures were reported. Mass coagulation was induced in order to obtain a nanocomposite bulk material, which was further analyzed [23]. Chen et al. [24] added Ti02 and SiOi/TiOi nanoparticles with a positive surface charge at a very low pH of 0-2 to both anionic and cationic latexes based on PMMA. A bulk nanocomposite blend was analyzed. 

Mondragon et al. [250] used unmodified and modified natural mbber latex (uNRL and mNRL) to prepare thermoplastic starch/natural rubber/montmorillonite type clay (TPS/NR/Na+-MMT) nanocomposites by twin-screw extrusion. Transmission electron microscopy showed that clay nanoparticles were preferentially intercalated into the mbber phase. Elastic modulus and tensile strength of TPS/NR blends were dramatically improved as a result of mbber modification. Properties of blends were almost unaffected by the dispersion of the clay except for the TPS/ mNR blend loading 2 % MMT. This was attributed to the exfoliation of the MMT. 

Montmorillonite (MMT), a smectite clay, is probably the most extensively studied nanomaterial in terms of mechanical, thermal, fire retardant or crystallization behavior of polylactide, especially when these nanoparticles are organically modified allowing the achievement of intercalated and exfoliated nanocomposites.These nanocomposites show enhanced properties as compared to microcomposites and pristine polymer. However, biodegradation and hydrolytic degradation of PLA in the presence of nanoclays has been investigated to a small extent. 

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