STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF NANOCOMPOSITE MATERIAL FROM UNSATURATED POLYESTER AND POLY (ETHYLENE OXIDE) – MODIFIED CLAY

Abstract

In recent years, polymer clay nanocomposites are attracting considerable interests in polymers science because of many advantages. There are many scientists having researched about this kind of material and demonstrated that when matrix polymer is added little weight of clay, properties of material is enhanced considerably. Because clay is a hydrophilic substance so it is difficult to use as filler in matrix polymer having hydrophobic nature, so clay needs to be modified to become more hydrophobic. In this study, Poly (Ethylene Oxide) was used as a new modifier for clay to replace some traditional ionic surfactants such as primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary alkyl ammonium or alkylphosphonium cations having disadvantages: disintegrate at high temperature, catalyze polymer degradation, and make nano-products colorific…. In order to evaluate modifying effect of Poly (Ethylene Oxide), modified clay products were characterized by X-ray spectrum. And then organoclay was used to prepare nanocomposite based on Unsaturated Polyester. Morphology and properties of nanocomposites were measured by X-ray diffraction, Transmission electron microscopy, tensile strength and thermal property. The results show that clay galleries changed to intercalated or exfoliated state in the nanocomposites. Properties of nanocomposites were (significantly improved) improved a lots when the loading of the organoclay was used at 1phr.