Halloysite nanotubes(HNTs) grafted with Polymethyl methacrylate(PMMA) were synthesized via radical polymerization. The properties of PMMA-grafted HNTs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that PMMA grafted to the surfaces of HNTs successfully. Then, PVC/PMMA-grafted HNTs nanocomposites were prepared by melt compounding. The morphology, mechanical properties and thermal properties of the nanocomposites were investigated. PMMA-grafted HNTs can effectively improve the toughness, strength and modulus of PVC. The glass transition and thermal decomposition temperatures of PVC phase in PVC/PMMA-grafted HNTs nanocomposites are shifted toward slightly higher temperatures. The grafted HNTs were uniformly dispersed in PVC matrix as revealed by TEM photos. The fracture surfaces of the nanocomposites exhibited plastic deformation feature indicating ductile fracture behaviors. The improvement of toughness of PVC by PMMA-grafted HNTs was attributed to the improved interfacial bonding by grafting and the toughening mechanism was explained according to the cavitation mechanism

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Commercial herbicide atrazine (AT) was first loaded into the lumen of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) in the amount of 9 wt %, and then the AT-loaded HNTs (HNTs-AT) were further incorporated into poly(vinyl alcohol)/starch composites (PVA/ST, with the weight ratio of 80/20) to construct a dual drug delivery system. AT loaded in nanotubes displayed much slower release from PVA/ST film in water than free AT; for example, the total release amount of AT from PVA/ST film with loaded AT was only 61% after 96 h, while this value reached 97% in PVA/ST film with free AT. The release behavior of AT from PVA/ST film with HNTs-AT was first dominated by the mechanism of matrix erosion and then by the mechanism of Fickian diffusion. In addition, combining HNTs and PVA/ST blends together in the controlled release of herbicide also reduced its leaching through the soil layer, which would be useful for diminishing the environmental pollution caused by pesticide.